


Dream On

by featherbrain



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Artist Killian Jones, Bail Bond Agent Emma Swan, Bartender Captain Hook | Killian Jones, Christmas, Christmas Party, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Literal Sleeping Together, Nightmares, Not Beta Read, Past Baelfire | Neal Cassidy/Emma Swan, Prince Charming | David Nolan and Emma Swan are Siblings, Slow Burn, Wordcount: 30.000-50.000, homeless emma swan, killian has a cat, mentions of canonical character death (no main characters), not neal cassidy friendly
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-27
Updated: 2021-01-11
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:07:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 30,219
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28288197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/featherbrain/pseuds/featherbrain
Summary: Emma's been having a tough time lately and the whole world seems to be against her. Losing her apartment was just the tip of the iceberg of an already crappy year. Moving in with her brother David in the small town of Storybrooke was not how she had envisioned her life going, but maybe the small-town life is exactly what she needs. Particularly in the form of a devilishly handsome bartender who just so happens to live there.Or, the 7 times Emma and Killian fell asleep together.
Relationships: Captain Hook | Killian Jones & Evil Queen | Regina Mills, Captain Hook | Killian Jones & Prince Charming | David Nolan, Captain Hook | Killian Jones/Emma Swan, Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Robin Hood, Prince Charming | David Nolan & Emma Swan, Prince Charming | David Nolan/Snow White | Mary Margaret Blanchard, Snow White | Mary Margaret Blanchard & Emma Swan
Comments: 41
Kudos: 41
Collections: CSSS2020





	1. The Party

**Author's Note:**

  * For [HelloTragic](https://archiveofourown.org/users/HelloTragic/gifts).



**Chapter 1: The Party**

It was a cold and frosty morning in the small town of Storybrooke. _Storybrooke_. Emma had to sigh at the name of the town her brother David and long-time girlfriend Mary Margaret had chosen to be their home. From high school sweethearts, their relationship blossomed, and the fairy-tale couple had decided to move away from the bustling city life of Boston for a quieter simpler way of life and found their happy ending in the most cliché place imaginable. From the quaint little houses to the picturesque gardens and the town clocktower that looks like it was meant to be on a postcard. It was one of those communities where everyone seemed to know everyone and everything, and anything out of the ordinary was viewed with a lot of curiosity. At least that was what Emma noticed after the third glace from the neighbour's window and the second time someone walking past had put their hand up to say hello and offer to help with the boxes currently outside David and Mary Margaret's loft. To which David had thanked them, Leroy, she thought was the name she heard but told him that they could manage.

"You'll love it, Emma, I know it's a bit different from Boston, but just give it a chance it’ll grow on you,” David had told her.

Emma loved her brother and his girlfriend deeply but seeing them so in love and settled in their quaint little life made her feel like she was almost being left behind. She was twenty-eight years old, single, and had never really set down any roots since she and David left the system, and currently having to rely on her brother for a place to stay. She was certain a proposal was just around the corner for them, in fact, she wouldn’t be surprised if David had a ring hidden away somewhere already. Or even perhaps Mary Margaret was going to propose herself, she was a strong-willed, yet incredibly kind woman, who would never let something as small as tradition gets in the way of her happy ending.

Between the two of them, David and Emma had brought all of Emma’s things up two flights of stairs to their loft apartment, and both then dropped on the couch with a sigh of relief.

“I don’t think I even want to look at another set of stairs again,” David said whilst stretching his back with a pained expression before finally dropping his head on to rest on his sister’s shoulder.

Emma rested her head on top of his and muffled a laugh in his hair. “I don’t even want to think about stairs let alone see them.”

A moment of silence passed, and Emma just enjoyed being with her brother. It had been a long time since she had seen him in person, sure they talked on the phone and texted constantly, but to go from someone being the only person you ever relied on, the only family each other had ever had, to living in a completely different state and both growing up and moving on with their lives. It felt strange. It felt like there was a chasm growing between her and her brother and she didn’t even notice it until they were back together again. Where he was moving on with his life, expanding his family to include Mary Margaret and apparently, the whole town of Storybrooke, Emma had no friends and had just lost her apartment as she could not afford the rent, and was forced to move hours away and accept the charity of her brother until she could find a new place to stay.

“I know that look,” David said cutting off her thoughts, “It’s not charity Emma, Mary Margaret and I both love you and want you to stay, you don’t need to pay us back or any other of those silly ideas that are running through your brain. You’re allowed to accept help every now and again.”

Emma couldn’t help the small smile that found its way onto her face, "David, I've missed you."

"Missed you too, it's been far too long since I've seen you Em. I worry about you, especially with everything that’s gone on since Neal-”

“I know,” Emma cut him off.

“If you want to talk about things Emma I’m always here, so is Mary Margaret.”

“I won’t be in your way too long, I’m going to start looking for a new cheap apartment, and my boss said I can still work from Storybrooke, so I’ll still have some money coming in to help out.”

“Emma, don't worry about it, we're happy to have you here, especially with Christmas around the corner. It will be nice to celebrate it all together, you, me, and Mary Margaret, as a family.” David said leaning up from the couch to look Emma in the eye. "I know it's been a tough year, but I think this calls for some hot chocolate with cinnamon. That makes everything better."

“That sounds like a Mary Margaret saying,” she said with a laugh.

“What can I say,” David replied. “I fell for a smart woman.”

“Where is Mary Margaret anyway?” Emma asked.

“Out getting some last-minute party supplies,” David answered. “You know how she gets with the Christmas party; it has to be perfect.” 

How could Emma forget Mary Margaret’s annual famous Christmas extravaganza! It took place every year on December the first to welcome in the holidays. Although it had been several years since Emma had attended, she was looking forward to it and it seemed for the people of Storybrooke, you couldn’t have Christmas without Mary Margaret’s party. It contained a lot more tinsel and glitter than Emma would typically choose, all of which seems to stick in her hair for weeks on end no matter how much she washed it. Never-the-less, it was always a lot of fun and usually involved a lot of alcohol, so Emma couldn’t complain. 

“She shouldn’t be long now she was hoping to be back before you got here to welcome you home,” then David’s voice took on a mischievous tone. “I think she planned to stay out late so she didn’t have to help carry boxes up all those stairs.”

“Don’t remind me about the stairs,” Emma jokingly groaned. “I still don’t think I can get back off the couch.”

As if she knew they were talking about her, Mary Margaret appeared in the doorway of the loft a smile beaming on her face.

“Emma!” She cried holding out her arms as she all but ran to the couch pulling Emma into a tight hug. 

Emma's arms quickly made their way around Mary Margaret’s and as if by magic her whole body relaxed into the hug. Mary Margaret was one of those special people whose hugs just made all your worries slip away. “Thanks for letting me stay here Mary Margaret, it means a lot to me.”

Mary Margaret’s arms just wrapped around Emma even tighter, “of course Emma! You’re always welcome here!”

She pulled away from Emma to smile at both the siblings. “I know what we need right now,” she began, “hot chocolate with cinnamon!”

“We were just about to,” David replied grabbing his girlfriend’s hand as she pulled him off the couch. “You grab the cups, I’ll boil the kettle.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Mary Margaret said, playfully saluting him.

“So, Mary Margaret, you have everything ready for your party tonight?” Emma asked as she was handed a mug of hot chocolate.

“As much as I can be, I had a problem with getting the booze. Gold the landlord shut down the liquor store last week, something about rent issues, but who knows with Gold,” she said rolling her eyes. “Killian said he’d get bring the drinks though, so crisis averted.”

“Killian?” Emma said.

“David’s friend, Killian Jones, he owns the pub down by the docks.” She replied, then turned her attention to David. “I did say that you’d give him a hand carrying all the drinks up the stairs later.”

David and Emma both turned to meet each other’s gaze, “I do love those stairs,” he said cheekily. “Emma will help, right Ems?”

“The things I do for alcohol,” she replied with a giggle.

The day continued with Emma unpacking her clothes into the spare bedroom on the upper floor of the loft. It seemed as though David and Mary Margaret had started the party early as Emma could already hear them singing along to Christmas songs over the radio. 

A knock on the door made Emma pause from hanging up the last of her clothes, her favourite red leather jacket. 

“Hey Ems,” David said poking his head through the cracked open door. “People should start arriving any minute now and Killian text he’s five minutes away with the drinks.”

"Okay," she answered, pulling on her shoes and making her way out of the room to follow David, but not before ruffling her hand through his hair. "How do you already have glitter in your hair?"

“It’s a talent!” He replied with a laugh.

The two siblings made their way out of the loft and down two flights of stairs just as a man was approaching their doorway. The figure was holding five large bottles of vodka in his arms obscuring his face as he walked up to David.

“Hello Dave,” he said as he was pulled into a hug by David, drink bottles and all. “You happy to see me mate, or just using me for an excuse to hug the booze?”

The two then broke apart with a laugh. 

“How are you mate?” he asked, “Mary Margaret all prepared for this shin-dig?”

“What do you think?” David asked whilst shaking his hair like a wet dog, flicking glitter all over the man’s face.

“Ah that woman does love her glitter, you’re a brave man Dave” the man, Killian she presumed, chuckled. Then he pushed the bottles he was holding into David’s arms.

“Killian, this is Emma, my sister."

It was only then that Killian turned fully to face Emma and the first thing she noticed was his clear blue eyes, and a roguish smile. 

“Hey,” he said, holding out his hand towards her, “I’m Killian.”

"Emma," she responded, quickly shaking his hand before dropping it and crossing her arms. She could see David in the corner of her eye looking amused at her awkwardness. 

“So,” Killian said, “Robin lent me his truck for the night and I’ve got half the bar in the back of it if you two will help me drag it all upstairs.” 

David nodded quickly, waving his hand in an _‘of course no problem’_ motion.

Between the three of them, it was quick work, and soon the other guests were starting to arrive. This left Emma awkwardly sitting on the couch alone sipping her drink as she came to the realisation of just how long it had been since she had visited her brother, as she didn’t recognise anyone at the party. David and Mary Margaret were playing the perfect hosts and talking to a large group of people over the kitchen counter. Even though Emma was sure Mary Margaret was only on her second drink, it appeared that she was already in the wonderful world of tipsy, bouncing along to the upbeat Christmas music. 

A tap on the shoulder broke Emma's descent into loneliness. She turned her gaze to settle on the figure that had perched himself on the couch beside her.

“Enjoying yourself so far Emma?” Killian asked.

“Yes, Mary Margaret always does a great job,” she replied politely.

“That she does,” he agreed. “Lucky fella your brother, I’ve never seen someone so in love.”

As Emma glanced back towards her brother, she could see his arm wrapped around his girlfriends' shoulder. He had a loving expression on his face as Mary Margaret bounced around happily chatting to her guests.

“I've known them both for a while but this past year we've gotten a lot closer,” Killian began then his voice took a softer intonation, “David’s been a good friend to me.”

"You looked a little lost over her lass," he continued, "so I thought I'd come to say hello again, I know what it's like to be the new one in Storybrooke."

“I don’t really know anyone,” she replied. “I don't mind the time to myself, but I've got to admit it's a bit awkward at a party."

“I know the answer to that problem love!” He said, waving the glass he was holding up to her face. “We need far more drinks in our systems.”

“That doesn’t sound like the healthy response,” she chuckled back.

“We can’t all reach up to Mary Margaret’s high level of advice,” he teased. “Anyway, I own a bar, so this is my area of expertise.”

With that, he left and returned carrying two glasses of a mysterious clear liquid, and Emma decided _what the hell_ and took a large gulp of the one he handed her, only to pull a face and gag at the taste. 

She could handle her alcohol well normally, but her eyes were beginning to burn as she swallowed. “Jesus, what’s in this?”

Killian looked at her with the corners of his eyes crinkling as he let out a loud carefree laugh. "I decided to forgo the mixer if only to see your face."

This sounded like a challenge to Emma, and she was not one to back down from a challenge. Raising the glass again she downed the rest of the drink in one go, feeling a tad smug at the impressed look emerging on Killian’s face.

“I think we need more drinks," Emma said whilst standing up and making her way over to the kitchen and towards the mountain of alcohol currently residing there; "you seem like a rum man?"

“Well now I’m definitely impressed Nolan, we’ll make a bartender out of you yet.”

“Swan,” she responded.

“Excuse me?” Killian said, not following the conversation.

“It’s Swan, Emma Swan,” she answered. “David’s a Nolan.”

“How does that work?”

“The foster system makes things confusing. Nolan's our father's name, but I always preferred to make a name for myself.”

He nodded unsure of what to say to that and leaned down onto the kitchen counter, accidentally knocking over the drink Emma had just prepared for herself. He quickly looked at her with wide sheepish eyes. 

Her face took on the expression of fake annoyance, “You owe me a drink.”

“As the lady requests!” He bowed dramatically and then began to make them both another equally strong drink.

A few hours later and Killian and Emma were once again sitting on the couch, mostly ignoring the hustle and bustle of the party going on full force around them. David and Mary Margaret had come up to them multiple times to check that Emma was having a good time, but honestly, they were so drunk that Emma thinks she could have told them she killed someone and they would have replied _that’s wonderful Emma, We’re so proud of you._

Their conversation had seemed to naturally flow all evening and Killian was currently partway through a tirade, explaining to Emma in detail why the boat he had when he was younger was the best boat to ever exist. At this point, he was rambling complete rubbish, and she was unsure how the topic even came up. 

“Why do you have paint all over your arms?" Emma interrupted him, as halfway through his story he pushed the sleeves of his shirt up to his elbows. 

He blushed slightly but didn't reply.

They then noticed a dark-haired woman beginning to walk up to the pair of them, smiling in a way that Emma wasn’t sure what to make of her.

“That’s Regina,” Killian said pointing her out, “she’s the principal at the school, she works with Mary Margaret.”

“You pirate,” Regina ribbed, “are all the drinks here stolen from your bar?”

“Love I own the bar, they’re my drinks.” 

Regina rolled her eyes and then introduced herself to Emma, “you’re Charming’s sister, right?”

“Charming?” Emma questioned.

“All I hear all day,” Regina moaned back, then put on a sweet high-pitched voice before continuing. “Oh, Regina, you won’t believe what Charming did today, he’s so sweet!” 

“Ignore her,” Killian said to Emma exasperatedly, “she loves them really.”

“Enjoy the party Emma,” Regina said nodding to her before walking away slowly, “you too pirate.”

“She just likes to wind me up,” he said then his voice rose to a louder tone so they would be overheard; “like an annoying sister!”

Regina’s cackle of a laugh was heard from the distance as she walked over to Mary Margaret.

“I’ve got an important question,” Emma said, the drink slowly messing with her brain to mouth filter. “Is everyone in Storybrooke unfairly attractive!”

“What?” Killian replied.

“You all look like you’re out of damn Disney movies!”

“Even me?” He said cheekily.

It's only then that her brain caught up with what she said. However, with all the alcohol fogging it up all she could maturely reply with was; "shut up."

Killian, equally drunk, also found utterly hilarious.

Emma got up to make her way to the bathroom, almost tripping on a drunk Regina who had decided to settle down for the night in David and Mary Margaret's hallway. It had seemed like only a minute ago that Regina was speaking to them.

Emma looked down at her phone and was shocked to find that it was four in the morning, the time had flown by and she had spent almost all the night chatting with Killian. She splashed some water on her face in an attempt to sober up slightly but even she knew that it was a lost cause as the room was spinning dramatically around her. 

When she left the bathroom, she noticed that she was previously oblivious to the fact the party had died down with only a few stragglers remaining. David and Mary Margaret had even retired to bed themselves. 

“Looks like the party’s over,” she said, sitting back on the couch and poking Killian in the arm.

She nudged him with her elbow when he did not reply, but all this made him do was fall sideways leaning into her, with his head dropping onto her shoulder. Killian let out a small snore and then shifted once again and wrapped his arm around Emma trapping her on the couch with him. She had to admit that he was rather comfortable and giving in to her drunken urges she leaned into him. Her eyes were fighting sleep and they eventually lulled shut with the comforting presence of a warm body next to her.

If Emma happened to wake up to Mary Margaret’s gleeful eyes right in front of her face with a camera in her hands, no one had to know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a gift for the wonderful WellHelloTragic on tumblr for the Captain Swan Secret Santa 2020.  
> The first chapter can work as a standalone story, so although this story is not yet complete, I hope you enjoy reading what is done :)
> 
> It has actually been a few years since I have properly sat down and written any fanfiction (5 years by the looks of it... yikes), so I really have enjoyed working on this and getting back into writing, and I really hope you like it and that I do our lovely Captain Swan justice!
> 
> It hasn't been beta read, so there may be some mistakes. I have reread and edited quite a few times, but there are always a few that manage to elude you XD
> 
> This story has roughly been inspired by the '5+1 things' style of fanfiction, but expanded upon by quite a lot because we can never have too many Captain Swan moments ;)


	2. The Cobblestone

**Chapter 2: The Cobblestone**

Emma had been worried about how moving away from the busy city of Boston would affect her job. However, the good thing about being a bail bondsman was that regardless of where she was, from the busiest city to the quietest town, there was always someone trying their luck with the criminal justice system. Despite its scenic appearance, the charming town of Storybrooke did seem to contain some hidden secrets.

Her boss had called her whilst she was joining Mary Margaret and David for a late breakfast at Granny’s; the local diner. There was a case she was needed for that night, a classic honeytrap, and to make things even easier after a little bit of snooping on her phone with some additional information her boss provided, it appeared this man had an active online dating profile with a fake name. After scrolling through some incredibly cringeworthy quotes in his ‘about’ section such as _money can’t buy happiness_ and how he _only lives in the moment._ His later paragraph complaining that girls will only date assholes, and never seem to go for a nice guy like him made her laugh. The nice guy who was embezzling large amounts of money through his charity and then skipping bail when called out for it. Emma wrote him a quick message about how she would love to get to know him and put her phone down, waiting for a reply.

"Got a job, Emma?" David said with half of the pancake he was eating sticking out of his mouth.

"Firstly, that's really gross David," she began, "and yes looks like an easy job, hopefully, I can get it done tonight." 

It would be good to get some more money coming in that she could put towards finding a new apartment, and with Christmas around the corner, she still needed to get some shopping done. There was only so long you could procrastinate and put off buying presents before it got too stressful. The pay was not always great depending on the case, but she was thankful that she could keep her job and remain self-sufficient. As self-sufficient as she could be anyway, whilst living for free with her brother and his girlfriend. 

“We’ll be out late tonight Emma for date night,” Mary Margaret said. “So, no need to wait up if you’re back before us.”

In the week since Emma had moved in with the couple, they have had two date nights. Both involving walks around Storybrooke and romantic dinners out. Emma had later learned the hard way that it is best to leave the loft for those nights. So, it was a relief when her phone chimed with a notification, that her mark would be delighted to take her out for the evening, and ‘show her a good time’ whatever he meant by that. 

He wanted to meet her at the local bar down by the docks at seven that evening, and Emma quickly agreed.

“I’m working from seven this evening, so I’m not sure what time I’ll be back,” Emma told them, then finished off her grilled cheese with a final bite.

“I still don’t think grilled cheese sandwiches count as a breakfast food," Mary Margaret replied.

“They sell them at breakfast; therefore, they are a breakfast food.”

David rolled his eyes at her in fondness and stood up and kissed Mary Margaret on the forehead. "I best be heading off to work, see you both later."

David worked as a deputy for the local police department, whilst Mary Margaret was a first-grade teacher, who was fortunately off work since the schools had broken up earlier in the week. Their schedules did not often align well so they liked to take advantage of the school holidays and spend the mornings together whenever they could.

Emma and Mary Margaret soon finished up their breakfast, saying goodbye to Granny who was serving at the diner counter, and promising to come back the following morning. The little bell above the door jingled as they exited the diner, and Mary Margaret looped her arm with Emma’s as the pair began their stroll back to their apartment. 

“Have you explored much of Storybrooke yet?” Mary Margaret asked.

“Not too much yet,” Emma replied. “There doesn’t seem to be much going on here.”

"Give it a chance and it might surprise you," she responded. "Everyone's been really lovely and welcoming with David and me". 

Mary Margaret was like a ray of sunshine, Emma didn’t think anyone could not like her. However, Emma could concede that maybe, just maybe, Mary Margaret had a point. She hadn’t left the apartment much in the last week, mainly stressfully searching for cheap apartments that didn’t seem to exist. 

“Are you trying to make me stay here?” Emma joked.

“You know you’re welcome to stay with us for as long as you need Emma,” Mary Margaret’s playful tone had an underlying seriousness to it. “We want you to stay.”

It did not matter how many times Emma was told that she was wanted, there was always a little bit of doubt trespassing in the back of her mind. She tried to ignore it, she knew that David and Mary Margaret loved her, but sometimes the walls that the couple had worked so hard to break down, grew higher.

“We were so worried about you Emma,” Mary Margaret carried on, “When you called David saying you lost the apartment, he was up all night worrying about you, anything could have happened to you Emma. You should have called us the second you were evicted!”

Emma had tried her best to make it work after she lost her apartment, but after a month of bouncing from friends’ couches, which slowly evolved to strangers’ couches, and the occasional night on the street, Emma had caved and called her brother in tears. David had immediately driven the long drive to pick her up and she had all but collapsed in his arms, feeling like she was five years old and running to her brother after a nightmare.

“All that pride isn’t worth it Emma. We love you and would do anything for you, so stop with all the guilt and just try to relax. Honestly, I think it will do both of you the world of good to spend Christmas together.”

“I’m looking forward to it as well,” Emma replied. Emma stopped walking abruptly and pulled Mary Margaret to a halt. The shop in front of them was decorated up with wreaths and Christmas lights like something out of a cheesy Hallmark film. However, what drew Emma’s attention was the sign above reading ‘Any Given Sundae’. 

“How about some ice-cream, and a lazy day of Christmas films?” Emma asked. She wasn’t typically one who pampered herself, but honestly, with the joint stresses of money and apartment hunting, a girl’s day with ice-cream, wine, and movies sounded pretty good to her.

“Ice-cream? It’s December, we’re not getting ice-cream!”

Over five hours later, the pair of them were partway through a Harry Potter marathon, the credits of the Chamber of Secret beginning to scroll down on the television screen. 

“I need to get up,” Mary Margaret said stretching her arms and stifling a yawn. “I need to get ready; David should be back soon for date night.”

As she extracted herself from the blanket that they were sharing, she knocked over the two empty tubs, which had previously been filled with ice-cream, onto the floor.

“Go get ready,” Emma said, “I’ll clean up.”

Emma took the tubs to the bin, folded up the blanket off the couch, and then leaned across to grab the remote to switch off the television. It was only then that she looked at the time herself and decided to go get ready for work that evening. She plugged her phone on charge and went to find just the right outfit. Half an hour later, Emma appeared from her bedroom in a tight red dress, full face of makeup, and holding her phone whilst she sent a message to her mark that she was on her way.

The walk to the bar was much further than Emma thought, and the biting cold breeze was going right through her dress and thin jacket. She was ignoring the voice in her head that sounded suspiciously like Mary Margaret saying, _its December you should have taken a coat_. The cobblestone pathway was a challenge with her heels, and she was half wishing she never even bothered and just wore her comfy shoes. She popped her headphones on, and the music began to distract her from the cold slightly. She was unsure exactly how long she had been walking, all she knew is that she could no longer feel her nose. It was then that she noticed the sign for the pub. The old wooden sign, styled to look like an old pirate ship, proudly proclaimed, ‘Welcome to The Jolly Roger’.

As she entered, she was hit with a blast of warm air on her cheeks. The Jolly Roger had a lively atmosphere, and it was quite busy considering how small Storybrooke's population was. The nautical, pirate theme went throughout the pub, with anchors and artwork littering the walls. Emma had to stop for a second to fully take in the sheer amount of paintings that covered all the walls of The Jolly Roger including naval ships in battle, detailed portraits of pirates, mermaids, and stormy ocean landscapes. 

Emma slipped her jacket off as she sat down at a table nearest the door, making sure to take the seat that would best block her marks exit should he choose to run. She looked down at her phone checking to see if any more messages had come through when a figure cleared their throat behind her.

“Hi, it’s Emma, right? I recognised you from your photo.”

She smiled up at him and he reached over to grab her hand and place a kiss on her knuckles. He, however, didn’t look a thing like his photos, and if Emma was anyone else this may have been a shock to her. She knew exactly who she was meeting, Isaac Heller. More commonly known as the Author, for all the money his company raises for charities promoting literacy in schools across the world. That’s at least where most people believed his money went to, and for a highly public figure, his trial was mysteriously hushed up and didn’t receive much media attention. _That’s what money and friends in high places can do_ , Emma thought.

“Daniel, right?” She replied using the fake name from his profile. His beaming smile was all the answer she needed.

“Shall we get some drinks?” He asked, directing her with a hand on her back towards the bar counter.

“Sound’s good to me,” she answered with a flirtatious giggle. 

The bartender saw them approach and set down the empty glasses he was holding. “Hello there, what can I get you guys?”

“Whatever the lady would like,” was Isaac’s reply.

“White wine.”

“Make that two white wines then,” Isaac said, handing over the money and grabbing the two drinks off the counter.

"Thanks, Robin," Emma said looking down at his name badge.

Emma made polite small talk with Isaac, smiling in all the right moments of his ridiculous tales alongside internally rolling her eyes. 

“I’m just going to go to the bathroom,” he said interrupting his own story. “Why don’t you get yourself another drink, tell them I’ll start us up a tab.”

She wasn’t going to refuse another drink as she had been mindlessly playing with her empty glass for the last half an hour whilst she listened to a story of how ‘Daniel’ had a spiritual journey and had found himself whilst backpacking in the rainforest. Isaac seemed to be enjoying himself in her company and she didn’t get any feeling that he was going to run yet, so she decided, why not have another drink.

She stood at the bar waiting to be served. Robin was over at a table collecting empty glasses and another bartender was wiping down a table that customers had just left. Robin then noticed her and said, “I’ll be with you in just one moment.”

“It’s alright, I’ll serve.”

She recognised that voice as it spoke to Robin, and David’s friend Killian approached her, walking through the staff door to the other side of the bar counter.

“Swan!” He said happily. “What a nice surprise to see you. How are you doing love?”

Before she could even reply he sat a drink down in front of her and she looked at him questionably.

“Figured I still owe you a drink,” he winked at her. "That one's on the house."

Footsteps then loomed behind her and an arm wrapped around her waist. The giddy smile on Killian’s face fell slightly to a more awkward yet still polite one. 

“Any drinks for you mate?” He asked Isaac, who responded accordingly and was handed another tall glass of wine.

Once they were sitting back at their table, a conversation began again he started to bring up how he had a lot of money saved in accounts and how he could take her on exotic holidays in his private plane and buy her diamonds and jewels, all vainly in an attempt to impress her. Emma felt that she had gathered enough information out of ‘The Author’ and decided to bring out the big guns.

“Thanks for a lovely evening Isaac, but I best be getting home before it gets too late.”

Isaac, at the mention of his name, stiffened. His eyes moved methodically towards the door and Emma could see the flight response emerging within his panicked eyes. It was then that he leaped up and raced towards the door, pushing Emma out of the way making her collide sideways into the table. She took a moment to steady herself before following in hot pursuit, ignoring the shout of ‘Swan!’, coming from behind the bar counter.

She ran out the door, eyes locked on her target, and began to sprint. Once again, the biting chill hit her instantly, her breath leaving a cool mist in the air as she exhaled. Isaac was turning into a narrow street away from the docks in an attempt to throw her off his trail and as she made to follow him the heel of her shoe lodged itself between two of the path’s uneven cobblestones.

She fell with a hard bang, her palms stinging as they smacked against the hard ground of cobblestones. The pain blossomed in her ankle, causing her to groan as she sat on the ice-cold pavement.

 _Fuck,_ she thought, _I’m not getting paid tonight._

“Swan!” A voice called, out of breath, from behind her. “Emma! Are you alright?”

He reached her side and his eyes immediately shot towards her ankle. The panic was rising swiftly in his tone; “Are you hurt?”

“I’m okay,” she said reassuring him. “Just my ankle. I think I sprained it.”

He reached down to her ankle and touched it softly, “I think it’s starting to swell.”

“Can I help you up?” He asked. “I’ll get you back to the bar, and if your date decides to show back up I’ll punch him myself.”

“I’m not on a date,” Emma quickly replied. “I was working.”

He wanted to question how that could possibly be her job, but he ultimately decided that there were more pressing matters right now, such as the damsel in distress who needed his help. In light of this train of thought, he reached under Emma’s knees and hefted her up into his arms. 

She yelped in shock, then rapidly rattled off, “I can walk Killian!”

“Don’t worry love, you should rest that ankle," he reassured her. "I’ve carried rum barrels heavier than you.”

She would have fought harder, she didn’t need help, she could always take care of herself, but the warmth of Killian’s body pressing against hers drew her in. She was freezing cold and Killian could feel her shivers as she instinctively buried her head into his shoulder and looped her arms around his neck.

The walk back to The Jolly Roger didn't take them long, and as they entered the bar, the few remaining patrons didn't even blink an eye, their attention on their drinks and the drunken singing of a group sitting in the corner. However, Robin's gaze flew to her and he made his way over to them.

“Are you alright?” he said to her, “I saw that man push you over. Do you need help, we can call an ambulance?”

“No!” Emma said abruptly. She was fine, she was sure it was just a sprain, and she didn’t even want to think about medical bills right now. “I’m fine. You can put me down now Killian.”

He gave in to her request and sat her down on a bar chair. "Are you sure you're okay Swan? Want me to call Dave to pick you up?"

“I’m fine, really,” she responded, “and no, I don’t want to worry him, he can be a bit overprotective. Also, it’s date night so they’ve probably been drinking and I doubt he’ll even know his phones ringing. I can call for a taxi, I’ll be fine.”

“You’ll struggle to get a taxi around here Swan,” Killian said.

She could see his point there was not much going on in Storybrooke and it would cost a fortune to get a taxi to drive to the small town to pick her up.

"I'll walk then," she declared. Even Emma didn't think that would be a good idea, but she was nothing if not stubborn.

“Don’t be silly, love.” Killian retorted. “You could always stay here and see how your ankles feeling tomorrow to walk home. Though I really do think you should call the Charming’s to come pick you up.”

“Charmings?” Emma asked.

“I’ve been spending too much time with Regina,” he jokily replied, trying to lift her spirits.

“I can stay here?” She asked. “In the bar?”

“Well,” Killian replied, rubbing his hand on the back of his neck awkwardly. “I was thinking more upstairs, I live above my bar and have a couch that’s free for the night.”

She didn't like to rely on others for help, but she didn't seem to have much choice unless she was going to call her overprotective brother who would force her to spend at least a week on bed rest when he found out that she was injured. It's best that he never found out about this.

“Thanks,” Emma replied. “I’ll just leave David a text telling him I won’t be back home, so he doesn’t worry.”

“You’re going to text your brother that you won’t be back tonight?” Killian said emphasising the word brother.

“Good point,” she answered with a small laugh. “I’ll text Mary Margaret.”

“I can handle the ‘Jolly’ tonight boss, go help the fair lady to your quarters,” Robin said with a flourish to his voice, waggling his eyebrows.

"Ignore him, love," Killian huffed in response. "His teasing is almost as bad as Regina's."

“Hey!” Robin replied haughtily.

“I said _almost_ ,” he replied, drawing out the word. “Regina will forever be the Queen of annoyance.”

Robin snorted a laugh, “I’m going to tell her you said that!”

Killian moved his arms towards Emma intending to pick her up again.

“I can manage!” She squawked. It was embarrassing enough the first time, but now there was a bar full of spectators, and Robin, who she was almost certain would not let her or Killian live this down. 

“Fine, fine!” He surrendered. However, as Emma shifted herself out of the chair and placed her weight slowly on her ankle, the pain made itself evident on her face. “Just let me help you. I won’t pick you up, I promise.”

She reluctantly agreed and placed her arm over his shoulder and limped alongside him as the couple made their way behind the bar and through the staff door. It was only then that the staircase made itself known and she could not stop herself from gulping in anticipation of the struggle in front of them.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to-”. He was silenced by the glare he received in return.

One step after another, the pair gradually made their way to the upper floor which contained Killian's apartment. Emma's eyes were beginning to fill with water due to the aching pain, however, she was adamant that no tears would fall.

Killian fished in his pocket and retrieved his keys, hastily jamming them into the lock of his door. Emma had to stop herself from falling over as the door swung open and they both made their way over to deposit her on his couch. He then placed a pillow on the coffee table that was situated in front of her and turned to walk into another room. She supposed it was the kitchen.

“Put your leg up Swan,” he shouted from the other room. “I’ll get you some ice for it.”

She did as she was told, resting her swollen ankle on the pillow in front of her and relaxing down into a slouching position. It was then that she allowed herself to look around the room she was in. Artwork, very similar to that which was in The Jolly Roger, was also crowding the walls of Killian's apartment. All of the furniture seemed to be reflective of a mishmash of different tastes, nothing really matched but somehow it still worked. Furthermore, there were three doors branching out of the living room she was currently in, the door to Killian's bedroom lay wide open and she tried her best to ignore it but her curiosity got the better of her and she turned her head as far as she could to get a good view. 

“Am I interrupting anything Swan,” Killian said in the doorway of his kitchen with a bag of frozen peas in his hand.

“No,” she blushed.

He wrapped the bag of peas in a towel before placing it on her ankle. She all but moaned in relief.

She ran her hand on the seat of the coach, suddenly noticing rips and indentations covered the material, and on closer inspection of the room she was in, similar small scratch markings were scattered all over the coffee table and bottom of the doorways. It looked as though someone had taken a hook or a nail to the furniture, ripping into it with reckless abandon.

Before she could ask Killian what the hell was wrong with all his furniture, a ball of black fluff pounced onto her lap and, completely unprompted, decided to wage war on Emma’s fingers.

“Sorry,” Killian said reaching down to pluck the monster off Emma. “He’s an old fella now and he doesn’t like most people. He can be a bit mean and he’s quite slow to trust anyone new.”

Can a cat be any more relatable, Emma thought to herself.

“His names Hook. I think you can guess why,” he said indicating to the scratched-up furniture. “He’s why I can’t have nice things.”

“He’s a little devil.” Killian ran a finger down Hook the cats back before continuing. “He was a stray who let himself in, used me for free food and a roof over his head and then he just never seemed to leave.”

Emma was desperately trying not to compare herself to a cat right now.

“You heathen,” Killian said to the cat with a tender look in his eyes, before planting a kiss on his head, being met with deep purring in return.

“My brother Liam brought him in, told me we couldn’t leave him on the streets to fend for himself,” he said with a sad look looming in his eyes. 

“Does your brother live around here?” Emma asked.

“No, not anymore.”

Emma could read the signs that this was a touchy subject for Killian and so didn’t pry further, deciding to change the subject, as Killian sat down beside her with Hook the cat still nestled on his chest.

“So, Regina,” she said, her curiosity once again getting the better of her as the question had been burning in her mind, “you two seem close. Is there anything going on there?”

"Me and Regina?" He asked, mouth wide open in shock. "She's like my sister. I know she sometimes comes across as a bit harsh, but she is a good person deep down. This year hasn't been the best for me and she’s been there when I needed her. Even if it’s to give me a kick up the backside sometimes and tell me it’s time to stop wallowing in my misery and get out the ‘Jolly’ every once in a while. Anyway, I think Robin would have something to about Regina and I being together.”

“Oh,” Emma elegantly replied.

"I do understand about having a rough year," she said, surprising herself that she wanted to share this with him when even David and Mary Margaret didn't know the full story. 

“I was… with someone. We lived together and then he started to get involved in some… morally grey activities,” Emma said trying to find the right words, and not admit to someone she’d only known a week that she had been involved in a few less than legal situations. “Money was tight, and we always split the rent, but it was a struggle even with both of our wages. Then he left. No warning just left.”

She had been forced to sell everything she could in the hopes of keeping the apartment even her prized yellow bug, but it was all in vain, she just couldn’t afford to stay. She had an unreliable job with varying paychecks that were situational at best. Based solely on if she was needed to find someone who skipped bail, and even then, she was only paid if she followed through with the job and they didn’t get away.

She didn’t normally like to talk about herself, particularly when it involved her insecurities and struggles. Emma didn’t want pity and she was certain that if she had told Mary Margaret all that she had told Killian, she would be wrapped in a hug and told ‘don’t worry he’ll come back if he truly loves you’ and ‘it’ll all get better soon, as long as you believe it will anything can happen’. Emma knew Mary Margaret would mean well, but that’s honestly the last thing Emma wanted to hear. That is why Killian’s response was refreshing.

“Fuck him! That’s seriously bad form, love.”

 _Yes_ , she thought, _fuck him!_

She had spent years listening to Neal’s bullshit excuses and their relationship had been on the rocks for quite some time, and his more recent criminal activities had just been the icing on the cake. Emma knew she wasn’t completely innocent herself, she knew what Neal had been up to and mostly ignored it, because they were struggling, and he paid his part of the bills. Neal, however, often took it too far. There were only so many times she could hear that it was the last time, and he was going to get a real job and be there for her as he should be.

"At least I've still got my job, and David and Mary Margaret have been a Godsend."

"What is this elusive job Swan, if it involves taking creepy men out on dates?"

“I catch people,” she said. “People who skip out on bail and try to run. I bring them in, and yes, that does often involve taking creepy men out on dates.”

“Well, if that one shows up again at my bar I’ll make sure he regrets it,” Killian said with a hardened look gathering on his face.

“Don’t do anything,” she warned.

"He hurt you, Swan," he replied. "You're sitting here with ice on your swollen ankle."

“That was more me tripping up than anything he did, just a hazard of the job.”

“Technicalities,” he retorted.

“I mean it,” Emma said sternly. “Don’t do anything! Promise me that.”

“Fine,” he relented. "I won't personally do anything, but I can't promise I won't sic Hook on him. The little heathen will make quick work out of him."

She supposed she could deal with that, and if the ‘Authors’ face ended up looking anything like Killian’s pitifully scratched up coffee table she supposed she would take that small win.

“It’s getting late,” Killian said looking down at his watch. “I’ll grab you something to sleep in and put some fresh sheets on the bed.”

With that, he rose to his feet and put Hook gently on the ground, only for the cat to dart off into the bedroom.

“You have a spare room here?” Emma asked, looking around at the small, clearly one-bedroom apartment.

“No love, just my room.” He answered. “I’ll take the couch tonight.”

“I’m not taking your bed from you, Jones!”

“Nonsense love, you’re injured, and it won’t do your ankle any good being cooped up on the couch.”

“No way Jones, you’re already doing me a favour. I’m sleeping here on the couch.” Emma said with conviction, crossing her arms and pointedly staring at Killian.

"Then I'm sleeping on here too, and it would be such a shame for no one to sleep in the comfy, warm bed," he answered enticing her in. "You might as well take it because I've decided I'm sleeping here."

Emma raised an eyebrow at his ultimatum. He clearly did not know that Emma’s stubbornness knew no bounds, even if it involved spending the night on a lumpy, uncomfortable, torn up couch. He was bluffing, she was certain. After he noticed that she was definitely not inching from his couch tonight, he would give up and make his way to bed.

Killian then made his way into his bedroom and then from the bedroom doorway threw a t-shirt and pyjama bottoms at her head.

"I'll let you get changed," he said shutting himself in his bedroom momentarily as Emma then began the painstaking process of extracting herself from her tight dress and pulling the long, oversized t-shirt over her head. Once her heels were kicked off on the floor and pyjama bottoms pulled up and tied tightly at her waist with the drawstrings, she pulled her feet both up onto the coffee table and allowed herself to close her eyes for just one moment.

It was the sudden weight on top of her legs that caused her to reopen her eyes. Killian had covered her in thick blankets and then he handed her a pillow before he settled himself back down beside her.

"Thanks, Jones," she mumbled sleepily. "For letting me stay."

“Of course, love.”

She then felt little pads of weight crawling up onto the blanket on her knee, the little paws kneaded roughly, before relaxing down with a soft purr. She ran her hand over Hook’s fluffy back, and he allowed her ministrations briefly, before deciding to give her finger a quick nip and shuffle his way onto Killian’s knee instead. From Killian’s lap, Hook’s dark eyes stayed lingering on her then slowly blinked close resting her chin down on Killian’s hand. His gaze seemed to say that he’d tolerate her presence for now, but the cat knew that he would always be the King of the apartment. 

“This feels familiar,” Killian whispered, as so to not disturb Hook the cat. “Is this going to become a habit, us falling asleep together?”

“In your dreams Jones,” she said elbowing him lightly in the side.

“Oh, I’m counting on that,” he joked.

With that, she closed her eyes.

She did not trust easily, and normally her walls were built up so high that graining her trust was simply unattainable for most people. Yet Killian Jones had come out of nowhere, hitting her like a cannon. What was most surprising though, was that she wasn’t getting any of her usual warning signals loudly beeping in her brain.

She had to finally admit to herself that maybe, just maybe, she was beginning to let someone in.


	3. The Painting

**Chapter 3: The Painting**

“Emma,” Mary Margaret said, waving her hands in front of Emma’s face. “Emma, Emma! Hello, anybody in there?”

“What?” Emma said, looking up from her phone. “Sorry Mary Margaret, did you say something?”

An excited smile grew on Mary Margaret’s face, one Emma had learned very early on in their friendship to fear. “What’s got you so glued to your phone?”

“Nothing,” Emma replied. “Just looking at stupid cat photos.”

That technically was not a lie. The photo Killian had just text her was in fact of Hook, sitting on the kitchen counter staring into the camera with a ‘butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth’ expression on his face. The accompanying text read: I think he misses you Swan _. _

Emma subtly hid her phone back down away from Mary Margaret’s prying eyes, not as subtly as she hoped when her actions were met with Mary Margaret rolling her eyes.

_ Why,  _ she text back,  _ has he run out of other people to bite today? _

Within a few seconds the three dots indicating he was writing, appeared.

_ I think he’s starting to like you Swan.  _ Then another image appeared, showing an up-close photo of Hook, mouth wide open showing his sharp teeth. Emma couldn’t help but laugh, which of course drew back in Mary Margaret’s attention.

“I’m meeting Regina soon for lunch at Granny’s,” Mary Margaret said, suspiciously changing the subject. “Then we’re going out to get some Christmas shopping done. I’m mostly finished, but there’s this lovely pocket watch that I want to get David, so I’m taking advantage of him being at work.”

“Okay, have a good day with Regina,” Emma replied.

“You could always get your Christmas shopping done,” Mary Margaret suggested. “I know you haven’t done any yet.”

Emma hated Christmas shopping and every year, without fail, she left it to the last minute possible. Then she normally got incredibly stressed and panicked the few days before Christmas and then everyone she is buying for ends up with generic chocolate gifts. Then she always said that the following year she wouldn’t leave it so late. It was a cycle. However, after everything David and Mary Margaret had done for her lately, she really wanted to get them a nice, thoughtful gift to express her gratitude. 

“You could always take Killian along with you,” Mary Margaret nonchalantly suggested. “I know he’s not working today.”

Emma looked at Mary Margaret, shock painting her face. 

“Emma, subtlety is not your strong suit.”

What the hell, she decided, why not. She was terrible at shopping and didn’t have a clue what to buy for her brother and Mary Margaret, and Killian knew them quite well so maybe he could help. She unlocked her phone and typed out a message, not allowing herself to back out and she quickly pressed send.

_ Are you free today? Want to go Christmas shopping with me? I could use a hand. _

_ Yes, I'm free, sounds good Swan! I can walk to yours and we go from there? _

_ Okay, see you soon.  _

Emma put her phone away in her jeans pocket and nervously tapped her fingers. 

“It’s good for you Emma,” Mary Margaret said. “To meet someone new and Killian’s a good guy.”

“It’s not like that,” Emma protested. “He’s just a friend.”

“Okay, if you say so…” Mary Margaret trailed off.

“I think you’d be good for him as well,” Mary Margaret couldn’t resist saying. “He’s been struggling lately and while David and I have been trying to be there for him, it’s difficult.”

“Struggling how?” Emma replied.

“His older brother Liam died earlier this year,” she said sadly. “Liam was a good friend of David’s, and it was hard on them both when he passed. David’s kind of taken Killian under his wing since then, trying to be there for him if he needs him. Just as Liam would have done.”

Emma didn’t know what to say to that.

“Liam and Killian ran the bar together and having to do it alone has been a learning curve for him. It’s just nice to see a smile on his face again," she continued, then once again rolled her eyes. "Even if you're just friends!"

Emma had thought that Killian seemed a cheerful person when they hung out together, but sometimes looks could be deceiving, and the person who was struggling the most could have the biggest grin on their face. That she knew from her own experience.

The morning after she had stayed the night at his, she had woken up with a crick in her neck, and a dripping wet leg from the bag of now mushy peas that were still sitting on her ankle. Killian was still snoring lightly beside her, not having abandoned her as she thought he would in the night for his much more comfortable bed. As she rose from the couch, she accidentally jostled Killian, and he smacked his lips a few times as he yawned his way into awareness.

“Ugh,” he grumbled, shifting into an upright position. Then he looked at the clock on the wall and his eyes widened. “I haven’t slept in this late in months. I’m usually up with the sun.”

Emma was, however, significantly less of a morning person. It wasn’t until after she had eaten a large number of pancakes, prepared expertly by Killian, and downed two cups of coffee, that she finally felt slightly awake. She had once again thanked Killian for his hospitality before deciding she should take her leave.

Her ankle was feeling much better after resting it for the night with only a dull ache remaining, and she didn’t want to have to call David, so she braved the walk home. Nevertheless, Killian was adamant that he accompany her so that she didn’t trip again in her, what he referred to as, ridiculous heels and fall down a ditch.

Emma didn’t know what would be less embarrassing, putting her dress back on and looking like she was doing the most cliché walk of shame imaginable. Or perhaps the alternative of walking in public in what were clearly men’s pyjamas in the middle of the day. 

Five minutes later, the pair had shuffled out onto the street and began their walk to David and Mary Margaret's loft. One dressed, in jeans and a warm hoodie. The other in pyjamas, a borrowed puffer coat, and bright red stilettos. The shoes that, by the way, had at some point in the night, met Hook's wrath and had a few scratch marks, ones that which Killian was incredibly apologetic for.

In the few days since then, Emma and Killian had been messaging each other nearly non-stop. The topics had ranged from serious things to stupid embarrassing stories about David that Emma was looking forward to using to her advantage in the future. In fact, they had ended up texting late last night and Emma could still feel the tiredness in her eyes, but she grudgingly dragged herself out of bed this morning.

There was a loud knock on the loft door that startled Emma into dropping her phone. Mary Margaret rushed around her to pull the door open and enthusiastically gather their guest in for a hug.

“Killian!” Mary Margaret cried. “How lovely to see you again.”

“Hi Mary Margaret, I’m here for Emma we’ve got some Christmas shopping to do,” he replied, hugging Mary Margaret in return.

“How lovely,” she said back, “I’ll see you two later. Regina and I are going to do a bit of shopping ourselves.”

"Hi," Emma said, approaching him. She looked Killian over and noticed his distinct lack of a coat. "Killian, it's freezing, didn't you bring a coat?"

“I believe you still have my coat love,” he teased.

“Shit, sorry,” she said, going behind her to the lofts coat rack to grab his coat and pass it over to him. “It slipped my mind.”

It had been very cold these last few days, she hoped he hadn’t been going out all that time without a coat.

“No harm done, love,” he said putting his arms through his coat and zipping it up. “Shall we head out?”

Emma nodded and zipped up her coat, then the pair waved goodbye to Mary Margaret and made their way out into the frosty morning air.

“So,” Killian began, “is it just us or are we meeting with Mary Margaret and Regina later?”

“Just us,” Emma hastily replied. “My style of shopping is to get in and out of the shop as quickly as possible. Mary Margaret always likes to turn it into a full-on special bonding day, we’d go in every shop and have to try things on and then probably get our hair and nail dones and all that chaos.”

“A bonding day with your wonderful, caring friend. How utterly horrible!” He snickered, pulling a disgusted face.

“Exactly,” Emma teased back.

“What do you need to buy?” Killian asked. “I’ve pretty much got all of my shopping sorted now.”

“Already?” Emma exaggeratedly gasped in mock horror. “It’s only the tenth of December.”

“Only?” Killian asked raising his eyebrow. “Swan, Christmas is only a couple of weeks away. Please tell me you’re not starting from scratch right now.”

“This is actually pretty early for me,” she joked. “I’ve never been so organised.”

“Do you at least know what you want to get?”

"Well, no," Emma responded looking at him sheepishly. "I want to get David and Mary Margaret something special this year. Something sentimental."

“We could try Gold’s, that’s the place to go if you want unique and unusual things. I normally try to avoid it like the plague, but that’s the place you’d want if you’re looking for something a bit more special.”

“Let’s try it then,” Emma said. “Hopefully there’s something there. I’d really like to just get the shopping done, then that is at least one stress lifted off my shoulders.”

“It’s just at the end of the street,” he said, pointing towards it. “There. Just passed Granny’s.”

“Why do you avoid it?” Emma asked. “Is it too pricey or something?”

“The man who owns it is the landlord to almost all of the places around here. We don’t have the best of relationships, and he's been threatening to raise the rent for the 'Jolly' for quite some time now. He keeps finding little loopholes in the contract. Trust me, Swan, he's bad news around here, no one really likes him."

“Sounds like a bit of a dick.” 

Killian boomed out a laugh at that, before replying, “Yep, pretty much.”

As they entered Gold's shop, a little bell above the door jingled, and the man in question came out from the backroom to greet them.

“Miss Nolan,” he said. “I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting you yet.”

“It’s Swan,” she replied.

“Curious,” Gold said, then he turned his attention towards Killian and his tone got a bit colder. “Jones. Didn’t think I’d see you crawling out of your little bar anytime soon.”

Killian didn’t dignify that with a reply.

“We’re just having a look around,” Emma said, taking Gold’s attention away from the hostile glare he was receiving from Killian.

"Suit yourself, dearie. I'll be in the back if you need me."

Gold’s shop had that stuffy antique smell surrounding it, and the items displayed were all piled up all over each other. Some of the objects were beautiful, some she wasn’t even sure what they were, and some were just plain weird. 

“How about a crocodile teeth necklace for Mary Margaret,” Emma joked lifting the item out of its box.

“I don’t like crocodiles,” Killian responded, “but I think Mary Margaret will love whatever you get her just because it’s from you, crocodile necklace included.”

Emma placed it back down and went further into the shop to view the jewellery display. There was a necklace that looked like it contained glittery dust in a small vial sealed with a cork. It was very unusual, but even with the glitter in it, it had an elegant look about it. A look that simply screamed, Mary Margaret. She picked it up and held it to the window to view it in the light. It was perfect.

Killian was not being much help in her shopping excursion. He was fully distracted viewing the shelf of miniature sailing boats that were sitting in glass bottles with childlike eyes.

“Hey, I’ve sorted out Mary Margaret. I just need something for David,” she called over to him.

“What are you thinking?” he asked.

“I’m not sure. I want something special.”

She gazed around the shop once more, then as if by magic, her eyes landed on some old swords. Killian followed her eye line and gave her an odd look.

“Are you sure weapons are a good Christmas present Swan?”

She ran her fingers along the handle of the display sword. It was mounted in a sheath with brackets to help display it on the wall. It reminded her strongly of one of her fondest childhood memories when she and David were playing as young children. They had these wooden swords that one of their foster fathers had brought them. Correction, he had brought David one and Emma a doll, but after Emma’s begging, he had brought her one too. Emma and David spent hours out in the garden play fighting, acting out battles where the brave knights were on a mission to slay the dragon and rescuing the villagers from fearsome ogres. 

“I’m sure,” Emma said. “David will love it.”

“I’m not sure you’ll love the price tag though, love.”

Emma looked down at the price listed on it and gritted her teeth. It wasn’t that she didn't have enough money. It was that between the two presents it would be near all the money she had in her bank account gone. She wanted desperately to get her hosts a meaningful, thankful gift, but she needed money to save for an apartment to move back to Boston. Despite their assurances otherwise, Emma also didn’t want to overstay her welcome as there was only so long she could scrounge off her brother before he surely grew sick of her.

“We could go halves, and give it as a gift from both of us,” Killian suggested.

“No I wouldn’t ask you to do that,” Emma said, also thinking that perhaps it would give the wrong impression to her brother as that came across like a gift from a couple.

“I’ll get it,” she decided, weighing up her options. If she was very careful with everything else on the runup to Christmas, maybe she could afford someplace after the new year. 

Emma rang the bell on the till counter and Gold slithered his way back into the main shop. She paid for the items, wincing as she handed over the cash. Then the pair exited the shop carrying the necklace and the sword in a large cardboard box.

“Are you sure you don’t mind carrying that, it looks quite heavy?” Emma asked.

“I’m fine, don’t worry.”

“I think that’s the quickest I’ve ever got my Christmas shopping done. It has got to be fate that the first shop we go in has exactly what I need,” Emma pondered.

“That’s the charm of Storybrooke,” Killian chuckled. “Who else do you need to shop for?”

How did she tell him without gathering looks of pity that she didn’t have any other friends other than her brother and his girlfriend, who were pretty much indebted to be nice to her as they were family.

“No, I’m pretty much done,” she said.

“How are you planning to hide this from Dave?” he wondered. “It’s kind of noticeable.”

He made a good point, it wasn’t a subtle box and the loft apartment was fairly small. Killian could see the stressed-out look emerging on Emma’s face with the vein on her forehead beginning to show.

“You can keep it at mine,” he said. “He won't see it there.”

“Are you sure?” she asked.

“It’s no problem.”

"Thanks, Killian," she said. "Thanks for everything you've done for me lately. You didn’t have to be so nice to me.”

“You don’t have to thank me, love,” he said, but she could tell he was touched by her thanks. “It’s just good form. You should always help people if you can.”

“Let’s head back to mine then,” Killian resumed, “and hide these up from the Charmings.”

The walk along the cobblestone road towards The Jolly Roger didn’t seem to be quite as far as Emma remembered, however, she did make sure to look at her feet as she stepped over some of the more uneven stones.

“What was the typical Nolan/Swan Christmas when you were growing up? Any fun traditions?” Killian asked her, making conversation.

“It’s hard to have traditions when you’re bouncing from one home to the next, but me and David always found a way to watch Die Hard.”

“Die Hard at Christmas?” Killian asked confused. “I was expecting a Christmas film.”

Emma stopped abruptly. 

“What do you mean? Die Hard is a Christmas film! It’s a classic!”

“Woah,” he joked, “I didn’t mean to offend, Swan. I’ve not seen it, but it just doesn’t sound very Christmasy.”

“Okay,” Emma jested, “I wasn’t offended before but now I definitely am. How have you not seen Die Hard? We have to fix this right away, Jones.”

Killian undid the door to The Jolly Roger and put his hand up to wave to Robin who was behind the bar counter. He then led Emma through the back of the bar and up to his apartment, placing the box down as he unlocked the door. Emma then picked it up to save Killian the extra job and they made their way inside. 

“Where should I put this?” Emma asked.

“Just leave it there by the door. I'll find somewhere to hide it later.”

Emma proceeded to plonk herself down on Killian’s ratty old couch, the familiarity of it making her feel quite at home.

“Let's get your laptop Jones and load up Die Hard. I can’t let that transgression go!”

“I’m ever so sorry my lady,” he teased. “Look’s like my afternoon’s turning a lot more interesting now. Have you had lunch yet Swan?”

“Not yet, I can always grab something later on.”

“I can do some sandwiches, that’s about the best I have right now,” he said. “Of course, we also have to have some popcorn. We can’t watch a movie without popcorn.”

A few moments later the pair were both gobbling down sandwiches on the couch with a bowl of popcorn in front of them and a laptop sitting open on the coffee table. It was in the opening seconds of Die Hard that Hook the cat had decided to make himself known, sitting between them and batting up a paw to play with Emma’s ponytail.

The movie was around halfway through, and Killian did have to admit that it was quite good. He was engrossed in the film and every now and again he reached for a few pieces of popcorn and nibbled on them in suspense. Hook seemed unbothered by everything that was going on around him, content to lay in between them and alternate between scratching at a loose thread on the couch cushion and swiping at Emma’s hair. Killian turned to look at Emma and see whether she was bothered by the little heathen’s actions.

She had her eyes closed and her head rested heavily on her hand. Deep breaths were being drawn out as the bowl of popcorn that was resting on her stomach lifted up and down rhythmically. 

_ This was certainly becoming a habit, _ Kilian thought,  _ but not one that I mind. _

He fought his impulse desire to tuck a strand of hair that had fallen in her face, behind her ear. It had most likely been Hook’s fault anyway, the little heathen liked to cause mischief. He turned his attention back towards the film thinking that it would likely be classified as creepy to watch Emma sleep, but his attention kept drifting away and he was no longer sucked into the plot of the movie. 

It was only as he shot up with a start that he noticed that the laptop was showing the credits of the film before the screen then faded out to black and came up with a button saying ‘replay’. He hadn’t meant to fall asleep, but late nights working behind a bar were not good for keeping a regular sleeping pattern.

“Shit,” Emma said rubbing her eyes. “Sorry, I haven’t been sleeping well lately. I guess it caught up with me.”

She sat up and shook her head lightly, trying to shake out the drowsiness. This caused her hair to fly around her and Hook the cat’s eyes began to glow with excitement. It was then that she began to shiver slightly, the warmth of sleep leaving her.

“You can grab a hoodie if you want,” Killian said. “There’s one laying on my bed I think, just help yourself.”

She didn’t want to have to sit inside with her winter coat on, so she took him up on his offer, and she did have to admit that the invite to go inside Killian’s room wasn’t one that she wanted to turn down. She spotted the black hoodie laying on the end of his bed and pulled it over her head, the soft fabric feeling very comforting on her arms. She allowed herself that one moment to glance over his room. 

There was an easel set up in the corner by the window with a canvas sitting upon it. Sitting beside it was a pile of papers and canvases with paint splashed on the nearby carpet. Her nosiness got the better of her, and she picked up the top canvas and looked at the painting upon it. It was very impressionistic, bright colours flooded the canvas, but she could clearly see that it was meant to be the ocean. The swirls of colour seemed to move around the painting like crashing waves. It was beautiful.

It was only then that Emma thought about the paintings that covered the walls of The Jolly Roger and the few that were hung up in Killian’s living room.

“I forgot they were in there,” Killian said with a blush on his face, as he stood behind her in the doorway. “I was just messing around with some paints. They’re not very good, I know.”

“They’re wonderful,” Emma said seriously. “Are the ones in the bar yours as well?”

Killian’s blush took over his whole face.

“No,” he said. “They’re Liam’s. He was always the artist of the family. I found his stash of paintings a few months ago and I couldn’t resist putting them all up. He was always quite private with his art and never thought he was good enough. He was always scared that people wouldn’t like them. I had to put them up, he deserved for everyone to see how fantastic they are.”

“They’re incredible,” Emma said. “They complete the ‘Jolly’.”

“I think so too,” Killian said with a small smile.

“Yours are great too,” she said.

“I just do it as a hobby. I find it fun,” he said, with the redness once again returning to his face. “Liam always liked it when I painted.”

“You should paint more,” Emma said. “I’m not joking, they’re gorgeous.”

Killian was saved from his embarrassment by the beep of his phone. He grabbed it out of his pocket and read the text to himself.

"It's Mary Margaret," he said. "She says she texted you earlier."

Emma walked back into the living room to grab her phone off the couch. It was completely dead. 

“Can you tell her the battery died?”

Killian typed a quick reply and then his phone buzzed again with three simultaneous beeps.

“She asked if we’re done shopping and want to go to hers for evening dinner,” Killian said reading off his phone. “Regina’s over there too.”

“Do you want to?” Emma asked, then began teasing to hide her own insecurities. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to. You’ve already put up with me all day.”

"It sounds fun Swan," he replied, "and I've already texted her we'll both be there."

Wrapping themselves up in their winter gear, the two made their way to the loft and as they entered David, Mary Margaret and Regina greeted them both enthusiastically.

“How did shopping go Emma?” David asked, knowing full well that it was one of his sister’s least enjoyable activities.

“Not bad,” she answered. “I’ve got it all done. How was work?”

“Same as ever it was fairly quiet today.”

The small talk continued until the group was sitting around the table, plates piled high with Mary Margaret's homemade spaghetti bolognese. 

“This is delicious as always Mary Margaret,” Killian said as he scooped another large forkful into his mouth. Even Regina had nothing bad to say about it as she served herself another helping, and that’s how everyone knew it tasted good.

Regina’s iconic apple turnover was brought to the table for dessert. Nobody would dare say anything bad about it, or they would be dealt the harshest of hands by a wrathful Regina. 

“Regina, you haven’t made us your renowned apple turnover in so long,” Mary Margaret said, “I’m so excited.” 

David’s mouth was practically salivating as he stared at the dessert in front of him wanting to pull the entire thing over to his plate.

“She made me one last week,” Killian jabbed playfully at David.

“What?” David said pouting. “No fair!”

“When you give me free booze, I’ll bake you as many as you like,” Regina answered with a wink, before reaching across the circular table to high five Killian.

“Is that a new hoodie Emma?” David asked changing the subject. “You don’t normally wear a lot of black, not since that-”.

“David! Don’t you dare!” Emma interrupted.

“Now this I’ve got to hear,” Regina said mischievously.

“When Emma was about thirteen, she decided to dye her hair black and only wear these ridiculous jeans that were ripped and covered in safety pins. Then there were the neon tops, but there was this black hoodie that she pretty much lived in,” he explained. “She was taking the rebellious teenager look to the extreme.”

Emma turned beet red, thinking that he didn’t have to bring that up whilst Killian was here. Killian, however, had tears of laughter in his eyes.

“Please tell me you have photos,” Killian begged. 

“I do somewhere, I’ll dig them out sometime and show you.”

Emma glared at him as if to say no you will not.

“Don’t worry Emma,” Regina said, turning the tables to Killian. “I may or may not have old photos of the idiot sitting next to you. One-word Killian… ponytail.”

Killian’s expression flipped from one extreme to the other before he screeched out; “Regina!”

Regina chuckled before lifting her glass to her lips with a smirk. 

"Come on pirate, I'll drop you off home," she said grabbing the tip of Killian’s ear to pull him out of his chair as she passed him. “It will save you the walk, and I can go and see Robin.”

“Ouch Regina,” he groaned rubbing his ear but nevertheless followed after her. “Thanks for a lovely day Emma, and thanks Dave and Mary Margaret for having me over.”

“You’re always welcome mate,” David replied.

“I’m sure I’ll see you sometime soon Killian,” Emma said as he left the building.


	4. The Storm

**Chapter 4: The Storm**

The people of Storybrooke had really gone to town with their Christmas decorations. All of the shops on the small high street that Emma strolled down were covered in strings of lights, and beautiful wreaths and trees with delicate ornaments were proudly on display in the shop's windows. However, all this magic was lost on Emma whose eyes were glued to her phone as she walked. 

The latest photo that appeared on her screen was a stupid selfie of Killian and Robin standing behind the bar of The Jolly Roger both wearing childish light-up Santa hats. It was ridiculous and it definitely didn’t make her smile, and then she definitely didn’t proceed to save it on her phone. At least, that was what Emma would tell Killian if he was to ask. 

Killian had been busy working non-stop, and it had been almost a week since Emma had seen him. Around Christmas, it appeared, was one of The Jolly Roger’s busiest times. People tended to treat themselves a bit more than usual and were less likely to turn down that extra drink at the end of their night even when they probably should have. However, it did make for some entertaining stories for Emma to hear when Killian calls her late at night after his shifts.

He really needed to hire a lifeguard; she didn’t know how Killian wasn’t constantly scared about the drunk people walking home from his bar alongside the docks. Emma had told him late one night over the phone that it seemed like a silly idea to open a bar by the water, but he just found her comment hilarious, saying the only person he knows of that had actually gotten so drunk they fell into the docks was Regina. Of course, Regina had claimed that it was entirely Killian’s fault for giving her free drinks, even if he didn’t remember offering her any or her asking before going around the bar counter to help herself. That was Killian’s famous story of how he ruined his favourite pair of shoes clambering into the frigid water after Regina.

Emma had fallen asleep on the phone that night with tears of laughter streaming down her cheeks, and proceeded to wake up with an imprint of her phone on her cheek, one that didn’t seem to disappear until a good part of the day had gone by, much to the amusement of David and Mary Margaret.

Killian, despite his busy schedule, always managed to find time for her. Even if it was just small text messages saying hello or asking how she was. He most commonly liked to send her photos. She had received photos of the bar, the docks, and even the rare elusive selfie, such as the one of him and Robin she had just received. Most consistently though, she received pictures of Hook. She was amassing enough photographs of the cat on her phone that she thought she may just make a separate folder to put them all in.

Emma sent back a text telling him and Robin not to work too hard, and to make sure they get themselves something to eat, which she knew Killian occasionally forgot to do on a busy shift.

The answering ping came in and she opened the message and could hear his teasing tone echoing in her mind.

_Okay Mary Margaret ;)_

She put her phone away into her pocket and looked up as she approached Gold’s shop. It looked odd and bare when surrounded by the delightful and stunningly decorated buildings. There was not a Christmas light or ornament in sight on Gold’s shop. Its dark and suffocating atmosphere was even more apparent in comparison to the light and warmth of the surrounding shops. 

The shop looked empty when she entered it. Unperturbed, she continued with her mission, walking up to the display shelf near the back which contained five impossible bottles. The one that drew her attention was of a pirate ship sitting within an empty bottle of rum, the very one that she knew had caught Killian's eye the previous week on their shopping expedition. 

She picked it up looking around the bottle for a price tag, but there wasn’t one on it. It was then that she heard a voice just by her ear, making her jump in shock and nearly drop the bottle, juggling it between her hands before she got a stable grip.

"Interested, dearie?" Mr. Gold said.

“You startled me,” she said, trying to laugh it off.

He didn’t respond, so she trailed off her laugh awkwardly.

“How much is it?” Emma asked.

“Fifty dollars.”

“Fifty?” Emma said, her eyes bulging. She decided to try to haggle its price down. “It’s nice, sure, but it’s not that nice. Look there’s a crack on it.”

“It’s an antique, dearie,” Gold answered, he seemed amused by her attempts to barter with him, and simply raised his eyebrow.

Emma reluctantly put it back onto the shelf. _There goes that idea_ , she thought. She had wanted to get Killian a surprise Christmas gift, and now she was back to the drawing board for ideas. 

“It’s yours.”

“What?” Emma said shocked. “I can’t pay you that much.”

“It’s yours,” Gold restated. “No money needed.”

“What?” She repeated. “You’ll let me have it for free?”

“Well, I don’t know about free, dearie,” he said with a twinkle appearing in the corner of his eye. “How about you just owe me a small favour?”

“What kind of favour?” She asked, knowing this had to be too good to be true.

“Nothing much, Miss Swan, just if I happen to need anything, you’ll be there for me,” he said. “Just a friendly favour.”

She supposed she could lose one Saturday or something and help him clean up his shop if that’s what it took, she didn’t mind a bit of hard work, or maybe pick up his groceries for him at some point. The people of Storybrooke had been nice to her so far and she decided to stop letting opportunities pass her by and take Mary Margaret’s advice. Mary Margaret had told her to try and give Storybrooke and its people a chance. Here was one of its residents offering her a chance to get Killian a gift that she knew he would love, and out of pity for her financial situation was offering her a kind alternative. A simple favour.

"You've got yourself a deal," Emma said.

Gold responded with a crooked smile and placed the bottle in a gift bag for her. She then left his shop, but not before spinning around in the doorway to say; "thank you, Mr. Gold, I really appreciate this."

“Pleasure’s all mine, dearie.”

Emma did think it was a bit odd, as he was running a business after all, but the offer was too good to refuse, and maybe Gold wasn’t quite as cold-hearted as Killian made him out to be. Despite the shop’s gloomy appearance maybe a small bit of Christmas spirit had made its way through the cracks in its walls.

When she arrived back at the loft, she approached David and placed her ice-cold hands on his face, making him leap off of the dining chair he was sitting on, his newspaper flying out of his hands. 

“Emma!” He scolded, only to be met with a joyful laugh, which made the reprimanding look fall off his face. She opened the gift bag that was hanging around her wrist and showed David its contents. 

“Do you think he will like it?” She asked.

“Who will like it?” David replied, feigning ignorance. She elbowed him lightly, awaiting his reply, “yes, I think he will love it.”

“That’s good,” Emma said, needing the assurance. “I got it from Gold’s shop.”

“I think I did see some like that in there,” David said. “When I was getting Mary Margaret’s-”. He stopped himself hastily.

Emma waited for him to continue but when he didn’t, she responded with, “fine keep your secrets!”

“I was thinking of getting one of those bottles myself, they weren’t bad at twenty dollars really,” David reasoned.

“Twenty! That conniving little…” she left the end of that sentence hanging. “He tried to charge me fifty.”

David rolled his eyes, “that doesn’t surprise me.”

“I managed to sort something out,” Emma assured him.

"Really? There are not many people who manage to get the better hand over Gold," David laughed. "I'm impressed, Ems."

“It’s good to save a bit of money as well,” Emma reflected.

“About that,” David said. “I’ve heard through the grapevine that Graham is leaving the sheriff’s department after Christmas. So, there is an opening coming up. It’s nothing glamourous just paperwork mainly and patrolling around, not much goes on in Storybrooke. I thought maybe you might be interested?”

“By ‘through the grapevine’, do you mean Graham told you? There’s only the two of you David it’s not like there’s much going on for the gossip mill there.”

“Grapevine just sounds cooler Ems,” David chuckled. “What do you think?”

“I’ll have to think about it,” she replied. “I’ve still got my bail bonds job.”

David knew when to let a conversation drop before Emma began to retreat into herself.

“I’m out for the night tonight," David explained. "It's the staff Christmas party over at the school. Mary Margaret and I are going to crash afterwards at Regina's place, so I don't have to worry about driving. You can come along if you want to?”

“No that’s alright, I’m feeling like more of a quiet night in,” she said. “I may go out for a walk later and clear my head.”

“I heard there’s going to be a storm tonight Emma,” he told her. “So, I wouldn’t go outside too late if I was you.”

“Quit your worrying,” Emma joked poking David’s nose. “I’ll be fine. You enjoy your night out with Mary Margaret and the school staff.”

“Maybe don’t let Regina drink too much,” Emma added on, remembering Killian’s story.

David gave her a weird look before mumbling “that seems like an impossible task”. 

Her phone let out a loud ping, and she quickly reached for it and unlocked it with a smile.

David sighed in jest, knowing he wouldn’t get anymore conversation out of Emma now Killian was on her mind.

_Finally got a five-minute break in! How’s your day going Swan?_

Her fingers ran over her phone screen as she typed out her reply.

_Not much today I’m having a quiet day, how’s work going?_

_It’s pretty busy, but we’re managing. I’m closing up tonight, I gave Robin the evening off to go to the school party with Regina. Hopefully, it won’t be too late, I think people are going to head home early to avoid the storm._

_You’re pushing yourself hard with all these late shifts, make sure you grab some dinner before you fall asleep!_

It was a moment before she received a reply to that, and her mind starting thinking, was she being too pushy. While it felt like they’d known each other for ages, with how quick she felt that their friendship had grown, it had only been a few weeks since they had met.

_I don’t have much food in right now. I plan to go shopping tomorrow I haven’t had the time yet this week._

Then within seconds, another message popped up on her screen.

_But don’t worry love I’ve got enough bits in to grab a sandwich for tonight :)_

She had never known herself to be this impulsive, but she couldn’t stop her fingers from typing out the following message. It was sent before she could even think about whether it was too forward.

_Do you want to come over after your shift? I can make us some dinner._

Her heart began beating hard as she waited for Killian’s reply to come through. It was taking longer than she expected. Maybe his break was over and he was serving a customer.

Ping.

Thank God. A reply came in.

_That sounds lovely Swan! Are you sure though? I wouldn’t think I’d be there until 11 or 12. Depends on when the last customer leaves. Wouldn’t want to keep you up._

He says that as though he wouldn’t have kept her up until early hours anyway as they inevitably spoke on the phone.

_Yes, I’m sure Jones. I’d still be up then anyway._

_Then that sounds wonderful love. It will be like a midnight picnic!_

Two hours later and two attempts at dinner that were currently sitting in the bin, Emma finally gave up. She had tried to cook, but since it’s not a grilled cheese or a pop tart, it was a colossal disaster. Mary Margaret and David had left half an hour ago, looking upon Emma’s burnt to a crisp lasagne with disgusted expressions. 

That why was Emma was currently sat on the couch, with a menu for Chinese food in her hands. She ordered her usual and got the same for Killian, hoping that he would like it. The man who was on the phone said it would be delivered around half ten just before they closed, but Emma supposed she could reheat it if needed.

After scrolling through her phone and answering some emails from her boss about a potential mark, she lost herself in a vortex of YouTube videos. It was after the second alien conspiracy video that she heard a knock on the door. 

The delivery man handed over her Chinese food and she paid him with the last of her cash which was scrunched up at the bottom of her pocket, leaving a tip for the brave soul who had to climb the lofts dreaded stairs. It was fortunate timing that Killian had just sent a text saying he was on his way, the last customers just left the bar early before the storm hit.

An exceptionally long fifteen minutes later, and Killian was standing at the loft door.

“Hello, Swan!” He said looking awkwardly unsure of himself for a moment before pulling her into a quick hug. He released her after only a short second, just as she was about to raise her arms to return it. “I can feel the storm brewing out there now, we’re definitely going to get some snow in the next few days.”

She nodded along, saying hello back to him. "I've got Chinese food for dinner. Me and the oven have an on-again-off-again relationship."

“Chinese food is good with me,” he chuckled.

As the pair tucked into their food sitting opposite each other at the dining table, Emma properly looked at Killian. He had a smile on his face as he spoke to her between mouthfuls of food, but he had a stressed look that was leaking through.

“Are you alright?” She asked. “Did something go on at work?”

“The 'Jolly’ is doing fine we’re quite busy and business is going well,” he answered. “Gold’s just on about raising the rent for the next quarter, and I can afford it, but things will be a lot tighter than I would have liked. I’ve got to buy the stock in still and get some broken chairs replaced. I’ve then still got to pay the wages, and I promised Robin a Christmas bonus with how busy it’s been. Sorry for the rant Swan, it’s just a bit stressful sometimes doing it all by myself.”

“Don’t apologise, I understand the money stresses.”

“Anyway,” he said more brightly, “how’s your secret agent job going?”

“It’s bail bonds agent,” she laughed, “and you know that.”

“Well, how’s being a bails bond agent going then?”

“I might have another mark lined up soon which is good news,” Emma replied. “David made me an interesting offer earlier today as well. Graham’s leaving the sheriff’s department soon and wanted to know if I wanted to work there.”

“That’s great news love! When do you start?” Killian said excitedly. 

“I don’t know if I’m going to take it,” she said. “It feels like it’s being handed to me and I’ve not earned it. I’m only really being offered it because I’m David’s sister.”

“The higherups may know of you through David, but that doesn’t mean you haven’t earned it. Emma, you have a lot of experience in the field. You’ve been a bail bonds agent for years; this will be a much calmer paced version of the job you have and have better hours and pay by the sounds of it. If anything, you are overqualified,” Killian proclaimed. “I bet you would be a better fit for that job than anyone else in this town who maybe would have applied for it. I bet you’d be better at it than Dave himself, though we best keep that between us.”

She laughed but her tone was sincere, "thanks, Killian. I'll have to think about it a bit more though."

A crack of lightning lit up the room flashing through the windows and was shortly followed by a bellow of thunder. Killian jumped slightly, knocking his elbow against the tabletop.

“Looks like that storm has finally arrived,” Emma said. “You can stay here tonight, it’s no problem, I can set you up on the couch.”

“It’s alright, love. I can head home I don’t want to intrude on you and the Charming’s for too long.”

“After the number of times I've fallen asleep at yours, I'd say we're passed that," she snickered playfully. “Come on, I’ll grab you a blanket. You can’t walk home in the storm Killian.”

Emma grabbed the patchwork throw blanket that David and Mary Margaret had left folded on the back of the couch cushions and held it out for Killian to take.

“Are you sure the Charming’s wont mind? Dave’s said I could stay over before but it feels a bit different without him being here,” Killian said still unsure.

"He won't mind," she said. "If anything, he'd be upset if you walked out into the storm. I'm sure he would insist you stay."

“Thanks, Swan.”

“Anytime. Now, I’m going to head up to bed,” Emma said. “Just help yourself if you need anything.”

Killian was thankful that he had changed out of his work gear to more comfortable clothes before setting off to Emma’s. He lay down on the couch and positioned the pillows on it under his head and drew the blanket against himself. He knew he was likely to throw it off himself in the night as he usually ran hot, but the cosiness of being tucked up in a blanket provided an extra layer of support as he wasn’t overly fond of the stormy weather.

Meanwhile, Emma had made her way to her bedroom, stopping off at the bathroom on her way. After she brushed her long blonde hair she tied it up into a ponytail and then began to change into her sleepwear. Another roar of thunder shook the building and then the bedroom lights flickered off before turning themselves back on again. She decided to just go to bed and try her best to sleep through the vicious noise.

She clambered into her double bed, choosing to sleep right in the middle and bury herself deep within the layers of blankets that she had cocooned around herself, with only her head peeking out.

Emma was awoken suddenly by a loud piercing noise. She closed her eyes again, thinking it must have been a particularly close bang of thunder. However, the noise struck again, sounding more like a shout this time. She quickly blinked the sleep out of her eyes and uncurled herself from her bed, shivering as her cold toes touched the floorboards. She stopped on her dissent downstairs only briefly, to grab a large brass candlestick that Mary Margaret used as hallway decoration, holding it above her shoulder like a bat.

As Emma entered the living room, her eyes scanned the room for an intruder. She was about to quietly make her way over to check the kitchen when the loud shrill shout struck again. Her gazed shot to the source of the noise, Killian asleep on the couch. He was tossing and turning, throwing his head back and forth with his hand scrunched in his short dark hair.

“Killian!” She said trying to wake him up. When that was unsuccessful, she shook his arm, and he bolted upright with his eyes wide open and swayed slightly before his eyes locked onto hers. That’s when his body began to relax and lose its tension, taking comfort from Emma’s presence. 

“You alright?” Emma said sitting down next to him and lightly touching his hand to get him to withdraw it from the tight grip he had on his hair.

“Yes, I’m fine,” he stuttered, catching his breath. “Sorry I woke you, love.”

“Killian, can I let you in on a little secret,” she said softly. “I’ve got this hidden talent, it's pretty much a superpower, and I can always tell when people are lying to me. You don’t have to tell me what’s wrong, but please don’t pretend it’s nothing.”

“I don’t get them often,” Killian said in a clearer tone now his panic was subsiding with his hand still gripping onto Emma’s. “Honestly, it’s been years since I’ve had a nightmare, don’t worry about it, Swan.”

“Do you want to talk about it?” She asked, tracing her thumb over the back of his hand unconsciously. 

“It’s quite a difficult story,” he said looking down at their hands to avoid her eyes. “I don’t really know where to even begin.”

“Wherever you want,” Emma said. “Just pick any part you want to talk about. Even if it’s all over the place and doesn’t make sense I’ll still listen, just let it out.”

“It’s my father,” he finally stated. “It was a long time ago when I was still a little kid. One night he just packed up and left. He kissed me and Liam goodnight as he always did and he didn’t say or do anything different from normal, so I just went to sleep none the wiser, as any little kid would. I think Liam knew or at least knew more than I did about what went on, but he never spoke of it, and I couldn’t bring myself to ask. Liam really stepped up to the plate then, he became the father figure in my life and I know how difficult that was for him, but he never wanted me to go without. I spent years wondering if it was something I’d done wrong that made my father leave. I thought I had gotten over it. I haven't thought about it really in years, but I guess not.”

“Being left sticks with you,” she cautiously states, “I understand.”

“The storm didn’t help,” Killian replied. “It was storming that night he left, I guess that triggered something. I used to get bad dreams a lot when I was younger, I could tell it drove Liam crazy when I used to wake him up and constantly crawl into his bed, not that he ever complained. Don’t worry though love, I’m fine now. Go back to bed and get some sleep or you’ll be shattered come morning.”

“Will you be able to sleep?” Emma asked.

“Probably not tonight, love, but don’t let that stop you, one of us should at least get a good nights rest.”

Could she really offer what she was considering? Would it be weird? Would it make him uncomfortable? 

She probably shouldn’t, she decided. It would be too much, too intimate. She was unused to letting people get close to her and it wouldn’t just fracture the walls she had built up around her, it would completely shatter them. She simply could not offer what she was considering.

Her brain and her mouth though apparently had different ideas.

“You can sleep with me,” she exclaimed.

Silence prevailed between them and she pulled her hand away from Killian’s as it occurred to her what she had just said.

“I mean in my bed,” she stumbled on her words, “with me there. Like sleep next to each other, not like sleep _together_.” 

“That’s nice of you Swan, but I'm not a little kid anymore, and I don’t want to put you out any more than I’m already doing. I’ll be fine on my own.”

“A few very wise people have been telling me lately that you’re allowed to accept some help every once in a while from the people who care about you.”

His haunted gaze softened, and he smiled a small tired smile, but still didn’t look up to meet her eyes.

“You sure you don’t mind?” Killian asked timidly, a tone that Emma never thought she would hear in his usually confident voice.

“I wouldn’t have offered if I minded.”

She reached for his hand once more and dragged him upstairs with her. His feet shuffling tensely as though he still thought that Emma would change her mind. However, Emma was currently more preoccupied with being incredibly thankful that David and Mary Margaret were both out for the night or she would surely be bombarded with questions at their discovery of Killian and herself in bed together.

The pair laid side by side stiffly in Emma's bed as though they were unsure whether they were too close or too far apart and consequently bothering the other. Emma could hear her breathing getting tight in her chest and she tried her best not to fidget and disturb Killian. It was only when Killian turned so that his back was to her, that she let out the harsh breath she didn’t realise she was holding. It took her a while to fall asleep as she had gotten used to sleeping alone in bed lately, and every time she shifted, she glanced over at Killian’s still frame, to check if she had woken him up. With her being nervous about disturbing him, she was shifting far more than usual, only making the matter worse. She didn’t know how long she lay awake but eventually, Emma drifted off.

The morning sun glistened through the window, lighting up the room and creating a halo of light around the sleeping pair. Emma had spread herself out overnight taking over a good percentage of the bed, with Killian laying on the edge in the same position he had been all night long. Her arms were also stretched out wide, one leaning over the side of the bed, and the other was thrown across Killian’s chest.

Despite how awkward it had felt for them to fall asleep in bed with someone new, waking up together felt far more natural.

Emma’s eyes fluttered open and she had a sleepy smile gracing her face. Even though she had been woken up in the night, she felt much more rested than usual. As she gazed at Killian she noted that he looked a lot better than he did the night before. He looked peaceful, the blanket that he fell asleep under was pushed aside and she could see the relaxed breathing in his chest. He looked much younger and more carefree in his sleep, the dark circles of stress were much less apparent under his eyes, and his hair was sticking up in an array of different directions. He quite frankly had no business looking as handsome as he did when his hair was that chaotic. 

As if he had heard her thoughts, he began to stir, scrunching up his nose delightfully as his eyes slowly opened. It took a second for him to gather his bearings and remember where he currently was.

“Swan,” he stammered. “I’m so sorry for last night. I’m so embarrassed.”

“Don’t be,” she said turning onto her side to lay facing him. “I’m glad you didn’t have to go through that alone.”

“I’m not particularly fond of storms," he admitted. "The last one we had in Storybrooke; I barely slept a wink. I let Hook stay in my bed with me just in case he got scared, but the little heathen wasn’t bothered in the slightest, but he’s a hardened little fella, not a lot scares him.”

She could tell that turning the conversation towards the cat was calming for Killian, it moved the focus away from his delicate emotions towards a more familiar ground that he was comfortable talking about. As a kindred spirit, Emma was never really one to talk too much about her feelings even though that’s all she felt she had been doing since arriving in Storybrooke. The pair had just had quite an emotional night so Emma was also slightly relieved at the more light-hearted topics that were coming up. 

They both lay in her bed for quite some time, allowing the morning sun to slowly fill the entire room. The topic of conversation had somehow moved on to the real Christmas tree that Killian was thinking of planting outside the 'Jolly'. He was ignoring Emma's argument that there was no soil by The Jolly Roger since it was located at the docks, and that if he put it in a plant pot it would eventually get too big for it, and then what would he do with it.

“I just think it would be fun to decorate a real tree,” he said. “The ones in my apartment and the ‘Jolly’ are both artificial ones.”

“I’ve never decorated a Christmas tree,” Emma mused. “I’ve never really bothered with all that. It didn’t seem worth it to only take it down again a few weeks later.”

“What?” Killian asked in shock, “never?”

Emma shook her head, not thinking that it was as big of a deal as Killian apparently did. That’s what made Killian pull himself out of bed and stand up on the cool, hard floor.

“This needs to be fixed urgently! Up and at ‘em, Swan.”

“I don’t have a tree here Jones. The only one we have is in the living room and Mary Margaret had already decorated that before I moved in.”

He glanced around her room before his eyes settled on the small set of succulents she had displayed on top of her dresser, his eyes zoning in specifically on the cactus sitting in the centre. 

“We may need to improvise,” he said seriously.

Emma, sensing he was not going to let this go, reluctantly climbed out of bed. It took a moment for Killian to think up a solution to his ever so serious problem, and Emma tried her best not to think about the Mission Impossible theme song that had begun to run through her head.

After Killian had completed his mission, he turned to Emma regretful to say; "I think I should head home now. I really need to get showered and dressed."

"You have to work this afternoon right?” She asked, pretending that she hadn’t memorised his work schedule once he told her it earlier in the week.

“Yes, how did you know?”

“Lucky guess,” she said. 

Killian and Emma made their way downstairs, and he went over to the couch to grab his coat and his phone which was clinging onto life, with a five percent battery left.

“Well Regina text me a bunch of random letters last night, so I’m guessing they had a good time at the party,” he chuckled. Then he looked up sharply as if remembering something, “Hey, Swan, do you have my black hoodie you borrowed last week?”

“It’s in the wash,” she replied. “I’ll give it back to you next time I see you.”

“Okay, thanks,” Killian said, “and thanks for letting me stay over and for… well, everything else.”

“Any time, Jones.”

He smiled at her and then made his exit out of the door and into the streets of Storybrooke. As Emma peered over towards the lefthand side of the door she noticed that the 'borrowed' black hoodie was in clear view hanging on the coat rack where she had hastily placed it when taking it off as Killian arrived. She went over to it and pulled the large hoodie over her head, snuggling down into it, and made her way back up to her bedroom.

She couldn’t help but stare at the small cactus in her room that was completely covered with a bunch of her earrings hanging off of it. It looked downright absurd and Emma loved it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the kind response so far, I'd love to hear what everyone thinks :)
> 
> This is not beta read so apologies for any mistakes I've missed!


	5. The Past

**Chapter 5: The Past**

Christmas was fast approaching the whimsical town of Storybrooke. The joy and festivities were all being rolled out in full force across the community. Granny’s diner was holding a Christmas cookie decorating competition, the local church was rehearsing for its annual nativity, and the local bar, The Jolly Roger, was planning to host an ugly Christmas jumper evening. 

The apartment above The Jolly Roger had started its festivities early. Killian Jones had dragged his ugly Christmas jumper out right at the beginning of December and was currently wearing the red and gold patterned monstrosity. The Christmas jumper was one of the few items of clothing that he owned that actually contained colour, rather than his usual black and grey style. The large Santa face that adorned the front was horrifying, to say the least. It had rip marks on it and the eyes had been pulled off, courtesy of living for years with a very destructive cat, leaving two black circles where the eyes had previously been making the Santa look possessed. 

"You're wearing your demon jumper today?" Regina said. “Ugly Christmas jumper evening isn’t until Christmas eve.”

Killian and Regina were currently sitting in his apartment with a large apple turnover they were sharing on a plate between them on the couch, both with a fork in hand attacking it with vigour. 

“There’s never a bad time to wear my demon jumper,” Killian joked in return, beating her fork to the last piece of apple turnover and quickly putting it into his mouth before she could try and take it away from him.

"Just for that, I'm opening your calendar!” She said whilst rolling off the couch and making her way over the shelf where Killian kept his advent calendar. Regina pushed open the number twenty door and popped the small chocolate shaped like a Christmas tree into her mouth. "You're a grown adult who actually went out and brought themself an advent calendar." 

“That doesn’t seem to stop you from eating it,” he replied with a roll of his eyes.

“I mean, that’s embarrassing enough,” Regina teased. “What takes the cake is that you also got one for your cat.”

“I didn’t want him to feel left out,” Killian replied with a pout.

Regina gave him a look to show that he was being ridiculous, a look that over the years had become very familiar to Killian. Despite her teasing, Regina opened the window on Hook’s advent calendar and handed the cat treat inside to the cat, who gently ate it off of Regina’s palm.

“I never got why he likes you so much,” Killian joked mischievously.

“It’s because I’m such an awesome friend,” she replied, not taking her eyes off the cat. “Practically the best, you might even call me a queen!”

“Robin told you!” Killian huffed.

“Queen of annoyance, wasn’t it?” She crossed her arms giving him a pointed look. “I didn’t realise I’d been coronated. I at least want it printed on a sash.”

“Regina, I’ll even get you a crown,” Killian assured her with a twinkle in his eye.

"You're lucky I love you, Jones."

Hook the cat had made his way over to the couch and then betrayed Killian by snuggling down against Regina and purring loudly as she stroked his head softly. 

“So, how’s Emma?” Regina said coyly.

“What?” Killian said feigning confusion.

“Don’t act stupid with me,” she said. “I know something’s going on there. I saw you two asleep together cuddled up all sweetly when I left Mary Margaret’s party that morning. Then at dinner with the Charmings, there was definitely something going on there between you two.”

“We’re just friends Regina, that’s all.” 

“Just friends, I see,” Regina replied, “but you want to be more than that, right?”

“Emma and I, we get on really well. She’s funny and clever and she cares so deeply about those around her. She’s amazing really,” Killian listed, “but do I even want a relationship, am I ready for one?”

“I think you’ve answered your own question,” Regina stated. “Look, Jones. I know this year has majorly sucked for you and you’ve spent most of it wallowing in misery shut away in the ‘Jolly’.”

“Harsh Regina,” Killian muttered interrupting her.

“Shut up I’m getting to the good bit,” she said. “You’ve seemed a lot happier lately, more like the Killian I remember, and it’s good to see you smiling again. Maybe that’s to do with a bit of romance floating in the air, maybe it’s just that time has passed. However, I do know that all these positive changes seemed to happen around the same time that Emma Swan moved to Storybrooke.”

“I won’t push you, Jones,” Regina continued, coincidentally pushing Killian with her elbow as she said this, “but Emma Swan seems like one of the good ones.”

“Hook doesn’t seem to completely hate her,” Killian replied.

"Well!" Regina cried dramatically. "If she's got the cat's approval then it looks like she's here to stay!"

“I’ve got to head down to the ‘Jolly’,” Killian told her, “I should have started work five minutes ago. If Robin says anything, I’m blaming you.”

"Like Robin could stay mad at me," Regina chuckled. "Let's head down then, I'm going to come as well and have a drink."

As they made their way downstairs into the bar, Regina helped herself to a glass of wine from behind the counter before going to the other side and sitting down on the barstool grinning up at Killian.

“You think it’s going to be a slow day today?” Regina asks.

“Might be,” Killian replied. “I’ve got Robin in at four, just in case it picks up this evening.”

“He mentioned he was working later,” she said sipping her drink. “I’m going around his in a bit to have a couple of drinks before he has to leave.”

“You better not have him drinking before work,” Killian playfully glared at her.

“I said a couple of drinks,” she said, stressing that it was only a couple, “and I never said I would be sharing the booze with him.”

“I don’t need my bartender turning up drunk,” Killian warned. “I’ve got Gold coming at some point this afternoon to collect the rent. He won’t give me an exact time, I think he’s hoping to catch me out doing something wrong and we don’t need to give him any reason to find some clause on why I need to pay him more.”

It was then that the front door of The Jolly Roger swung open and a man walked in. He shivered at the cold of the outside December air and made his way to the bar counter.

“Hello mate,” Killian said cheerfully. “Welcome to The Jolly Roger, what can I get for you?”

“A pint please, whatever larger you’ve got on the taps,” he replied.

“Sure,” Killian said pouring his drink out and passing it over to him. “Anything else you want?”

"I'm actually looking for someone," the man said. "I've been looking around town but thought I’d find somewhere to come inside for a bit out of the cold. Found this place and it's never too early for a pint."

Killian smiled at the man, “exactly, a man of my own heart!”

The man laughed along with Killian and handed over the money for his drink, taking a few mouthfuls before sighing happily. 

“So, who is it that you’re looking for?” Killian asked, “working in a bar you get to know most of the people around here.”

“Someone called David, I’m not sure his last name, Swan, I’m guessing.”

“David Nolan?” Killian assumed. “He’s the only David I know around here. I think he’ll be at work today but I can call him for you if you want?”

“That would be great,” the man replied with a relieved sigh.

Killian fished his phone out of his pocket and tapped to call David, as he held the phone up to his ear, he turned to face the man and said, "who should I say is asking for him?"

“Neal,” he replied. “Neal Cassidy.”

There were a few moments of silence after Killian told David the name, then a quick rattled reply before Killian said 'bye' and hung up.

“He’s on his way over, mate,” Killian told him. “He’s going to take his break from work, it must be a stressful day at the sheriff’s department he sounded kind of angry.”

“An angry Charming,” Regina snorted a laugh, “never thought I’d see the day.”

"Haven't you got somewhere to be?" Killian badgered her.

“I’m off then. I’ll tell Robin you said hi.”

As Regina left, Killian’s attention went back to the man, Neal, who was sitting on the other bar stool. 

“So, what brings you to Storybrooke?” Killian asked in a friendly manner, “we don’t get a lot of visitors here.”

“I’m not staying long,” he replied, leaving Killian’s question unanswered. “Do you know any good places to eat around here?”

“There’s Granny’s, the diner on the other side of town, they have pretty good food there.”

“Thanks, man,” he replied.

As Neal ordered a second drink, he barely took a sip when a hand grabbed his shoulder and turned him around forcefully. He was met with the harshest of glares and pure hatred shone in the eyes in front of him. 

“Hey Dave,” Killian said cautiously, unsure of what was going on.

"Outside," David demanded. “Now.”

Neal never took his eyes off of David as he warily made his way outside, only to be pushed into the wall roughly on the side of the ‘Jolly’.

“What are you doing here Neal?”

“I’m looking for you Emma told me that you lived in Storybrooke. I need you to get in touch with Emma for me.”

David looked at him like he couldn’t believe the audacity of the man in front of him. “She’s not here.”

“She won’t answer the phone, and she’s not at our apartment. I need to talk to her it’s urgent!”

“Are you really asking me for a favour right now after everything you’ve done to my sister?” David seethed.

“Do you have a way to get in touch with her?” Neal asked panicking. “I’m desperate, I need to talk to her!”

“Leave.”

“What?”

“I said leave. Run back to wherever you came from. Emma’s not here and you are not welcome in Storybrooke.”

“Please,” Neal begged, “I need to speak with her, do you have an address or a new phone number for her?”

“I work for the sheriff’s department. Do not test me. I told you to leave!”

At the mention of law enforcement, Neal reluctantly nodded his head and David released him from his grip. David walked away keeping an eye on Neal as he left, and Neal quickly made his way back into The Jolly Roger and fell back into his bar stool with a panic.

“Shit,” Neal groaned.

“What was all that about mate?” Killian asked shocked. “I’ve not seen Dave that mad in a long time.”

“Nothing,” Neal said waving Killian off, “just a misunderstanding.”

“Alright,” Killian trailed off, clearly not believing him.

"Another drink," Neal demanded whilst smacking his money on the counter and downing the pint that David stopped him from originally drinking.

Killian handed over the glass, looking at Neal with concerned eyes. He was about to ask him if he was okay when he was interrupted by the door once more and looked over to it at the same time Neal did.

If Neal looked panicked before, it was nothing like the sheer terror that was unleashing on his face now. He scrambled off his chair, knocking his drink over and smashing the glass against the ground with it splintering all over the floor.

This shocked look was mirrored on the face of Mr. Gold who had come to collect The Jolly Roger’s rent for the quarter and was currently hastily approaching the counter.

Neal ran.

Gold followed after him, abandoning his reasons for coming to the bar. He ran after Neal as quickly as he could, but he was struggling on the cobblestones with his limp and walking stick as Neal raced off in front. Gold kept up his pursuit for as long as he could, but after Neal had made several turns into side streets Gold lost sight of him, and angrily slammed his walking stick into the wall of the building he was beside. 

Emma, oblivious to the chaos that was disturbing the town of Storybrooke was sitting alone in David and Mary Margaret’s loft apartment. With David at work and Mary Margaret helping out at the local church with the children’s costumes she had the place to herself, and she had just received a text from Killian and she snickered in confused amusement as she read it.

_ Today’s been really interesting so far, and by interesting, I mean weird. I have no idea what’s going on Swan! I’ll call you later this evening :) _

Emma was looking forward to whatever funny drunk customer story he would tell her in their nightly phone call. It seemed like today’s one would be especially good. Emma had just previously arrived back to the apartment with overloaded grocery bags in her arms. After a recent job had gone more successfully than her previous attempt at bringing a mark in, she had some much-needed money in her bank account and a lack of a swollen ankle this time which was a plus. Emma had decided to help out David and Mary Margaret and buy this week’s food shop, and she felt brighter that morning, feeling as though she was contributing rather than freeloading off her brother. 

An aggressive hammering on the loft door disrupted Emma's solitude and she looked through the door's peephole to see who was causing all the ruckus. 

“Open the door, Miss Swan!” The bristling tone of Mr. Gold slammed at the door hinges like a fierce gust of wind.

Emma, despite her instincts telling her not to, reluctantly opened the door.

“Mr. Gold, what’s wrong?” 

“I didn’t expect to call in my favour so soon,” he contemplated. “You find people right? That’s what you do.”

“Yes, why?”

“There’s someone I need you to find.”

“Who?” She asked unsure of Gold’s motives. “It's not as simple as just going out of my door and finding someone Mr. Gold. I would need information, and more importantly, why do you want them found?"

“My son, he’s here and he ran from me,” was the little information Gold seemed willing to provide.

This made the hair on Emma’s arms prick like an omen. Life in the foster system had taught her that people didn't run unless they had no choice or that staying was not worth the trauma it could cook up, especially from their parents. She was cautious of what Mr. Gold wanted her to do, and that caution teemed with the desperate anger that was looming in his crazed eyes made her certain that her decision was the right one.

“I don’t think I can help you,” she said guardedly.

“You owe me!” He bellowed, menacingly leaning into her. “You owe me, Miss Swan! Find him!”

“It’s not that simple Mr. Gold,” she tried to reason. “I have no idea where I’d even start looking.”

“It’s a small town, dearie,” the endearment was like ice on his tongue. “Find him and bring him to me, and our deal is complete.”

She was finally seeing the side of Gold that Killian had warned her about, the cruel unrelenting anger that seemed to thrive in every bone of his body. "I can't help you, Mr. Gold, I'm sorry."

“You will regret this, dearie. No one breaks deals with me.”

With that he left, stomping out of the loft with rage still burning in his eyes. 

For a town where nothing seemed to ever happen, so uneventful that it was barely noticeable on a map, it was brimming with chaos on this cold December afternoon.

To add to Emma’s puzzlement, David chose this exact moment to call her, and she raised her phone to her ear while glancing over to the loft door again, just to make sure Gold was gone.

“Hey David, what’s up?”

"Hi Ems," the tinny voice over the phone replied. "Do you have some free time today? Can you come over to the Sheriff's department I really need to talk to you about something?"

“Am I in trouble?” She joked. 

David's tone held a serious quality, one so different from his usual joking nature. "No, of course not. I just need to talk to my sister about something that happened earlier.”

“What happened? Are you alright?”

"I'm fine, Ems, I just ran into somebody. Can you come now? I think I need to explain all this in person rather than on the phone," he said delicately.

“Yes, sure, I’ll leave now.”

“Thanks, Ems, I’ll see you soon. Bye.”

“Bye,” she said back, worry brewing in the depths of her stomach.

Emma grabbed her coat off of the coat rack and wrapped it tightly around the black hoodie she was currently wearing and began the walk towards the sheriff's department. It was not an extremely far walk, but with worry on her mind, every step felt like five and her heart was racing with the feeling of uneasiness. She was approaching Storybrooke’s high street, the Christmas social hub of the town, and it was then that she was recognised.

“Emma!” 

She spun around looking for who had called her name, and the milling of people all darting from one shop to another disguised the voice’s direction on the busy high street. She recognised that voice though, she was sure she did.

“Emma!” The voice called once again, and her eyes met his. He was walking out of Granny’s diner, speeding up to a run as he saw her and looked truly shocked that she was there.

“Neal?”

"Emma," he repeated and began to open his arms for a hug before second-guessing himself and letting his hands hang awkwardly between them both. “You’re a hard person to find.”

"You're one to talk, Neal." She replied, her previous worry turning itself to anger in his presence. "You just left, don't you think I tried to call you, text you. Fuck, I even emailed you, Neal! Where were you? I didn't know what had happened to you!"

“Look,” Neal placated, trying to calm her down. “Let’s talk somewhere more private, I just came from a little diner, we can go there.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you, and this place is a gossip hub, if we go to Granny’s within five minutes Mary Margaret will be down there with a baseball bat.”

“Fine,” he said. Then he grabbed her arm and pulled her off the crowded street down a more private back alley and all the Christmas cheer of the high street disappeared into the gloomy dark alley. “Here will do.”

“Why are you here, Neal? Why should I give you any more of my time?”

“I was looking for your brother. I remember you telling me he moved to Storybrooke, and I remember you laughing at the town's name for fifteen minutes straight. I figured if anyone knew where you were it would be him.”

“Why are you looking for me?” 

He sighed and nervously ran his fingers through his hair. "I missed you, Emma."

The anger reared itself full force inside her. “Don’t even try that sweet taking bullshit, Neal. You abandoned me, leaving me high and dry with nothing, and now you randomly decided to come stumbling back to find me? Why are you really here?”

"I didn't abandon you! Grow up Emma, not everything's about you!" His voice was rising, and the curious head of a passer-by gazed into the alley. Neal took a moment to breathe and then lowered his tone to a near whisper. “Look, I’m only planning to stay here for the day. I need to get back to Boston, and I had no idea my father would be here. Everything’s getting too much for me today. I’m in deep shit Emma.”

“It’s you I’m meant to find as a favour for Gold, isn’t it?” She said with the cogs in her brain lining up in realisation.

“My father? You owe him a favour?” Neal said panicked. “What’s he blackmailing you with Emma? Is it about me?”

“He doesn’t know about us,” Emma replied. “He just wants me to bring his son to him.”

“We haven’t been in touch in years, I didn’t even know he lived here. Trust me, if I did I would have never stepped foot in this place.”

“Why did you then, Neal? Why did you need to find me so desperately?”

“I need a favour.”

“Oh,” she replied, baffled that he thought that he was in any position to request help from her after everything he had done. “So, it runs in the family does it?”

“I’m nothing like him,” Neal scoffed. “I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t serious. I really need your help Emma and you don’t have to be involved or anything. I just need you to cover for me if anyone were to ask anything.”

She raised her eyebrow infuriated. “You’ve got yourself involved in something you shouldn’t be, haven’t you?”

He nodded slowly. “I’ve gotten in too deep, Emma. I can’t get out of this one. People are starting to poke their noses in where they shouldn’t be and I owe some people a lot of money and if I help them with this they’ll back off. They knew our address Emma, that’s why I had to go, I couldn’t lead them back to you.”

“Am I supposed to thank you?” She cried. “You got yourself in all this illegal shit. You did that Neal, you weren’t forced to! We could afford food and an apartment, we had everything we needed and we had each other, we could have been happy! That was never enough for you, it was always just one more heist Emma, one more con, one more golden watch. Now when you’ve gotten in over your head, that’s when you come crawling back for my help saying how much you miss me. I’m done with all that, Neal!”

“I get that you’re mad,” he ground out between his teeth trying to hold his emotions in check. “I’m desperate Emma. I’m involved with something serious now. I need your help, or I'm screwed. Please, for old times sake."

Emma didn’t respond, still holding a disbelieving expression at the sheer audacity of the man.

"Come on, Emma, please. Just one small favour, it's Christmas, please just do this one small thing for me. If anyone asks you anything, I just need you to back me up and tell them that I spent Christmas here with you.” He was wearing her down as he always did, time and time again. “Nothing big Emma, just covering for me.”

“If who asks?” she said, beginning to feel the mental exhaustion that often accompanied a conversation with Neal. "You're friends or people from the gang. I don't want you sending your dodgy friends anywhere near David or Mary Margaret."

“…The police.”

“Shit Neal,” Emma massaged her forehead with her fingertips. “Has it got that bad?”

“I can’t get out of this one, Emma.”

“So, you want to drag me into it with you.”

“No, I don’t want you involved but I have no other choice. It’s not like I’m asking you to actually commit the crime, just be my alibi.”

“That is committing a crime.”

“If the police ask, just tell them that I spent Christmas with you, my girlfriend, and was nowhere near Boston.”

“I can’t do that Neal, I’m sorry, but I can’t bring trouble here to David and Mary Margaret. I just can’t do that to them and lying to the police will eventually bring trouble.”

“Please Emma, you’re the only person I can trust with this,” he begged.

“No.”

Neal knew Emma, and he knew that when her mind was firmly made up, no matter how much he begged and pleaded, she would not budge. Her eyes had hardened with her decision cementing itself firmly in her mind.

“Thanks, Emma,” Neal muttered, “so much for old times sake, huh?”

She didn’t respond but turned around with her back to him and walked away. Her stomach was dancing, she felt restless about their confrontation but the largest part of her just felt relieved. To finally have the chance to tell Neal that she was done and wouldn’t help him was exhilarating. She felt lighter than she had in years. She was ready to finally put him behind her and stop running. She felt free.

There was only one place she wanted to go to now, and only one person she wanted to see.

The cobblestone path to The Jolly Roger, seemed far more welcoming than it ever had before, and she walked down it with her head held high. She wanted to rant about everything to Killian and let out some of her frustrations, and honestly, after that intense encounter, she thought she deserved a drink. It was evening time when she arrived at the bar, and business was picking up as it hit its busiest hours.

“Swan!” Killian gushed and waved her over to the bar counter, where he was serving with Robin and she sat down on the barstool next to Regina, who was distracting her partner from his work. “Are you okay love, Dave said you were meant to meet with him an hour ago, he’s been texting us all in a panic.”

“I’m fine,” she soothed him. “It’s just been a long day.” 

She gathered up her phone and shot a quick text to David telling him that she's okay and not to worry. The responding reply asked her if he should come to pick her up and she assured him that she was safe and with Killian, which seemed to comfort David.

“What’s wrong, love?” Killian gently inquired. It was only then that she became aware of the tears that had started running down her face, and Killian’s soft hand as he brushed one away.

How could she be feeling so elated one moment and then feel like she was crashing in the next? Her emotions seemed to be flipping recklessly, completely overwhelmed with seeing the ghost of her past.

“Let’s go upstairs, love,” he said carefully. “We can put some films on like we always do.”

“No,” she said, blinking the tears out of her eyes and taking a few deep breaths to console herself. “I just want to hang out here, have a few drinks with my friends and forget about today. Anyway, aren't you supposed to be working?”

“I own the bar, love, I can do what I want,” Killian smiled at her and brushed her final tear off her face. “You’re one strong woman Emma Swan, drinks are on the house.”

“Thank you,” Regina said, walking around the bar to grab both Emma and herself a free bottle of wine and two glasses. Killian didn’t even bother to tell her that he only meant Emma.

“How much have you drunk today Regina?” Killian chortled.

“None of your business,” she taunted back.

Emma could not help but cut in, “be careful around the docks later Regina.”

Killian roared with a laugh, and Regina shot him a look, mouthing ‘did you tell her’ and he mischievously shook his head ‘no’.

“Just a friendly warning,” Emma smiled innocently.

“I will find out that ponytail picture,” Regina forewarned Killian.

The hours past and Emma enjoyed the company of her friends, losing herself in talking with Regina and learning a few more embarrassing facts about Killian, the smile that she had been struggling with producing all day, blossomed on her face. Killian and Robin wandered off every now and again to serve at the counter, clean up empty glasses, and bid patrons farewell as they left for the evening.

It seemed as though Emma's day had improved for the better, but she couldn't talk too soon as a new customer made his way over to be served and the stressed out frown on his face deepened as he noticed her.

“I swear Emma, I’m not here to argue with you and I didn’t follow you or anything,” Neal stammered out. “I just wanted to get drunk and forget about my father and all the shit that’s going on. It seems like we must have had the same idea. I guess I’ll just go then.”

“Wait,” Emma said surprising herself. “I’ll walk you out.”

“Emma,” Killian cut in concerned. “Do you want me to come with you?”

“No, I’ll be fine. I’ll only be a minute, and it’ll give Regina time to try and find out that ponytail photo that I’ve heard so much about.”

When the pair left The Jolly Roger, they stood nervously under the dark night sky until Neal interrupted their painful silence.

"My father found me just after you left,” He told her. “I guess there are not many places you can hide in a small town like this one, it's like he has eyes and ears everywhere."

“I guess you’re leaving then, running off back to Boston.”

“Yes, my father was spewing all this crap about how he wants us to be a family again. I'm better off on my own. He’s going to cover for me though, I had to promise that maybe one day I’d come back and visit, but he said if anyone asks he would tell them that I was here in Storybrooke having a magical Christmas with my father, reminiscing and spending quality time together just like any normal family would do.”

“I’m glad you managed to sort something out, Neal.”

“Don’t make any more deals with my father,” he advised her. “Trust me you don’t want to owe him anything and it’s impossible to get out of his deals, he never lets them go, he never stops. I know this doesn’t make up for everything I’ve done and put you through, but do whatever you need to do to get him away from you, and whatever that is, even if it involves me, I won’t be mad at you.”

Emma didn’t know what to say to that, but she did heed his warning and she understood exactly why the residents of Storybrooke tiptoed so delicately around Mr. Gold. 

“I’ll be in Boston if you ever want to come back, I’m hiding out at Walsh’s.” She remembered that particular dealer friend of Neal’s and he was bad news. “There will always be space for you.”

“Thanks, but I don’t think that will ever happen.”

“Are you really happy here, Emma?” He asked. “I know you and this place isn’t for you. You like the exciting life and you love an adrenaline rush and you had that in Boston. This life here in Storybrooke, it’s quiet and boring, and I get that David’s your brother, but honestly, what’s keeping you here Emma?”

Emma once again didn't know what to say, and so just waved him a final goodbye and walked back into the warmth of The Jolly Roger, back to Killian Jones.

His worried eyes met hers and she could see him relax as she approached him. 

“Does your offer still stand?” Emma asked. “Can we go upstairs and get away from everything for a while?”

"Of course, love," he said, setting down the glasses he had in his hands. "Regina, can you help behind the bar for the rest of the night? It's only an hour or so until we're closing anyway."

"You better pay me, Jones," she said, but already had the glasses Killian had put down, in her hands ready to help Robin with cleaning up for the night.

“You get paid in booze, and if anything, you’ve been paid for a year's worth of shifts in advance, it’s a miracle we’re still in business.”

“That’s not legal Jones!” She sniggered. 

“Do you not want the free drinks?”

Regina mimed zipping up her mouth and locking it with a flourish and moved to stand behind the bar, giving Robin one of her rare soft smiles.

Emma pushed open the staff door and led Killian up to this apartment, which he unlocked and welcomed her inside. A blur of fluff invaded her eye line and rubbed itself around her ankles with a thundering purr.

“So now you’re happy to see me?” She said, reaching down to stroke behind Hook’s ears.

“I told you he missed you,” Killian replied, taking her hand and tugging her over to sit on the couch. “It seems you’ve had an eventual day, love. Do you want to talk about it or we could put on some cheesy movies and forget about everything?”

Emma actually did want to talk about it, startling herself with that thought, but she actually did want to talk to Killian about everything and not just repress it all behind her mental walls.

“That guy who came in,” she started. “That was Neal, the ex-boyfriend I told you about before, he came looking for me, wanting a favour. He’s involved in some dark things and he can’t get out, he's involved too deep in it all, and I told him that I was done with that life. I actually feel bad that I didn’t help him. After everything he’s done, I still feel bad that when he needed my help, I turned him away. I just couldn’t have him bring trouble to David and Mary Margaret, they’re good people and I don’t want them involved in any of Neal’s shenanigans, and trouble always seems to follow Neal.”

“You don’t owe him anything Emma,” Killian said. “If it’s not too out of place for me to say, I’m glad that you’re closing the chapter on him, you deserve so much better.”

She blushed at that, which Killian could not help but find adorable and he added to the reddening of her face by telling her, “don’t think that I don’t recognise my black hoodie, love!”

“Let’s put on a film,” Emma said abruptly changing the subject.

“Alright,” Killian chuckled, opening his laptop which was resting on the coffee table, “what are you feeling?”

Emma leaned forward and began to scroll through Netflix, the romantic comedy section catching her eye. "Neal would never watch any of these, said he didn't 'do' romcoms."

“Well, now I think we have to watch one,” he said in reply.

"How about Love Actually, it's my favourite, and it's almost Christmas so it's the perfect time to watch it!" Emma said letting the excitement leak into her voice.

If Killian was being perfectly honest, Love Actually, wasn't his kind of film, but for Emma, he would gladly sit through two hours of cheesy romance, and so his tone matched her excitement when he told her to, “put it on then!”

Before Emma pressed play, she looked over at Killian, “do you mind if I make a quick phone call, then I can fully relax this evening?”

“Of course, Swan, I’ll just head into the kitchen for a minute and get us some hot chocolate on the go.”

"Thanks, Killian."

Emma brought up google on her phone and searched for the number for Mr. Gold’s shop. She took a calming breath to prepare herself then dialled the number, holding her phone to her ear in apprehension. The rings droned out as her phone connected, and despite the late hour, Mr. Gold picked up.

“Hello,” he answered, and after a couple of seconds of silence, he repeated himself. “Hello. If you’re there you better speak up and don’t even think of cold calling me, not after the day I’ve had. I’ll make you regret it.”

“Mr. Gold,” Emma said, already slightly regretting calling. “It’s Emma Swan.”

“You’ve already tried to break a deal with me, dearie,” he sneered coldly. “What can I possibly do for you?”

“I know your son,” Emma said and the inhale of breath she heard told her that she had his attention. She decided to go with blunt honesty and not talk around the subject, as Mr. Gold seemed to have a way with words and manipulating them. “I know him very well, and he told me to do what I have to do to complete our deal and get you to leave me alone. So, what can I do?”

“How do you know him?” He seethed. “Are you two trying to play some kind of sick game with me?”

“No. Not at all. I knew him from before I moved to Storybrooke and I had no idea that you two were related,” she began. “He’s in trouble, Mr. Gold, trouble that’s going to end up with him in prison or worse.”

“I’ll sort it out, I can make his problems disappear and keep him safe. That’s all I’ve ever wanted to do.”

“Mr. Gold, I don’t think-”

The ice of his tone stung as he spat through the phone. “You have no idea what I’m capable of dearie.”

After the day she had, Emma was inclined to believe him.

“You want to use up the favour you owe me, dearie, tell me this, where is he running off too?”

“Boston, he’s staying at this guy Walsh’s place.”

“Our deal is complete.”

The line cut off leaving a deadly quiet.

"Hey, Swan, you all done? I've got two hot chocolates with cinnamon ready to go for our film!" Killian said walking back into his living room, holding two mugs that were overflowing with marshmallows.

"Thanks," she said, taking the mug off of him and popping a marshmallow into her mouth. "You're spoiling me today."

“Only the best for you Emma,” he said cheekily. “Everything go alright with your phone call?”

“I think so,” she replied. “Let’s get back to Love Actually, I need to stop my brain from thinking and enjoy some cheesy romantic nonsense.”

As the film began to run, Emma lay her head on Killian’s shoulder and allowed for the stresses of the day to bleed out as she kept her fingers wrapped around the warm mug and hummed appreciatively as she took a gulp. 

“I’ll finish watching this then I’ll get out of your hair,” Emma assured him.

“Love, let’s not kid ourselves, we both know that we’re going to fall asleep here.”

“Can I stay here with you then? I don’t really want to face David and Mary Margaret right now. I’ll text them so they don’t worry… but I just want to relax here with you and pretend that most of today didn’t happen.”

“Of course, love.”

“Why do you do so much for me Killian? We’ve only known each other a short amount of time and you literally just left your bar for me.” 

“Why wouldn’t I?” He replied perplexed. “I’ll always be here for you and I like it when we hang out together.”

They only managed to watch half of the film but neither Killian nor Emma cared as they were cosily wrapped up together on the couch when their eyes drifted closed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading and for your kind comments and kudos for the last chapters!  
> I hope you all like this one, and as always I would love to hear what you all think :)
> 
> I don't know how I used to manage with only having 700-1000 words in a chapter and fitting everything I wanted to in it, it seems like an impossible task nowadays XD


	6. The Snow

**Chapter 6: The Snow**

The first snowfall of the year had finally hit Storybrooke, which was by fate on Christmas eve morning, lightly layering the town in a beautiful blanket of white which was reflecting like dazzling crystals in Killian Jones’ eyes. He was nervous, which was surprising to him, as he had hung out with Emma many times over the past few weeks and he had never felt more comfortable around someone in such a short amount of time before, and that was quite a scary feeling. Regina’s words had been echoing in his mind for the past few days making him really think about his feelings and what he wants and to give Emma a chance, maybe there was a bit of romance floating in the air amongst all the dreamlike snow. He was shuffling back and forth in front of Granny’s diner, fidgeting restlessly in trepidation of Emma Swan’s arrival.

Emma, after a few days of David hovering worriedly around her, was looking forward to getting out of the apartment. David had always been a very overprotective brother and would do anything he could to shield Emma from anything that could potentially distress her.

It was the point yesterday where he had offered to take an unpaid day off work just to stay at home and make sure that she was okay, that Emma had to put her foot down and tell them that she loves him, he’s a wonderful brother, but Neal is her past and she’s putting him behind her. Despite both David and Mary Margaret’s fears, Emma did feel okay with everything that had gone on, and after spending that evening with Killian she, if she dares even acknowledge it herself, felt good, refreshingly happy even.

It was in that morning after she had pushed a reluctant David out of the door towards his work that she had received a text from Killian asking her if she wants to meet up for an early lunch at Granny’s diner. Emma quickly responded with a ‘yes, sure that sounds fun’ before looking down at herself in her fluffy pyjamas and slippers and racing off to shower and get changed. 

After a few indecisive moments of staring into her wardrobe and flicking through her outfits, and then almost burning her ear with her curling iron, she made her way out of her room and met the excited gaze of Mary Margaret. Her excitement seemed to increase as her gaze fully took Emma in, and then bubbled so greatly that Emma was worried she would burst in delight. 

“You look nice,” Mary Margaret said as calmly as she could, which wasn’t very successful as she was still practically bouncing in pleasure. “What are you up to today?”

“Killian wants to meet up for lunch,” Emma said, already anticipating that the mention of Killian’s name was going to send Mary Margaret’s elation to a whole new level. “We’re going to Granny’s.”

“Oh, Emma!” Mary Margaret gushed. 

“It’s just lunch,” Emma quickly assured her. “Killian and I hang out all the time, this is no different.”

“Ah, okay.” Emma could fully tell that Mary Margaret was only humouring her with her reply before she then turned sincere. “You do look lovely today though, I’m sure Killian would agree with me.”

Emma tugged on her skirt anxiously, maybe she had overdressed a bit for a simple lunch at Granny’s in a pretty white blouse and red flowing patterned skirt, with her hair curled loosely as it fell over her shoulders. It was quite a noticeable change from her usual jeans, tank tops, and the black hoodie that she had become so fond of.

“Though I’m sure Killian would agree that you look lovely however you dress,” Mary Margaret coyly suggested.

“It’s Christmas eve,” Emma responded. “You know, holiday spirit and all that jazz. Thought I would dress nice for it, that’s all.”  _ She had definitely not got all dressed up just for Killian… definitely not. _

As Emma now began the walk towards Granny’s diner her black boots left thick, crunching tracks in the snow that was lightly beginning to settle around her. She was glad that she had second-guessed the red heels she was thinking of wearing knowing that they looked good on her, before thinking how ridiculous it was to wear high heeled shoes when walking out in the December snow. They were covered in cat scratches anyway, thanks to the little heathen, as Killian liked to call him.

She spotted Killian pacing outside of Granny's as she approached, wrapped up warmly in his black coat with a woolly Santa hat on his head, the same one that Emma knew, thanks to the many photos Killian liked to text her, that he had taken to wearing while on shift at The Jolly Roger. He had told her many times that:  _ I won’t take it off Swan, it's Christmas! _

"Hi," Emma called out to him, "what are you doing waiting out here it's freezing?"

She received a smile in return. “Swan! Hello, love! Don’t worry about me, I just wanted to wait for you so we could go in together.”

“You didn’t have to do that,” she replied. Then she opened her arms to give him a hug ‘hello’ which Killian responded to by wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close to his chest. Emma managed to hide her blush burying her face into his jacket and then when the pair released each other they both couldn’t hide the smiles on their faces.

“Shall we head in,” Killian asked and held the door open for Emma to walk through. 

They both sat down in a small booth near the back of the diner, with Killian's Santa hat receiving a nod of approval from Granny as they passed her. As Emma took her coat off, Killian's eyes went wide, and he uttered a gasp. 

“You look incredible, Swan.”

She blushed. “Well, it’s Christmas eve… just an occasion to dress up a bit.”

"Well, you look incredible as always, Swan," he replied. "Only one thing you're missing since it’s Christmas eve, you're not wearing a Santa hat!"

The jokiness had returned allowing for Emma’s blush to subside. “For the final time, I’m not wearing one. You're the only person who has been adamant they wear a Santa hat for the whole of December."

Before she could stop him, Killian snatched his hat off and plonked it down on her head, messing up her neatly curled hair. Perhaps she would have cared that her curls were now in disarray if she hadn’t been distracted by Killian running his hands through his own hair, pushing it back as he neatened up the tangled mess caused by his hat.

The two ordered their fancy Christmas eve lunch consisting of a burger, a grilled cheese sandwich, and two hot chocolates and as they were waiting for their food, Granny brought over a tray and placed it down between them. On the tray sat two gingerbread men and tubes of icing in all different colours and a pile of sweets and all types of sugary laces and candies, everything that would send a child, or Mary Margaret, into an excited frenzy. 

“Isn’t decorating the Christmas cookies meant to be for the children?” Emma asked.

“They’re for everyone,” Granny replied with a wink.

“Come on, Swan, give it a go,” Killian said, already grabbing the red tube of icing, “unless you’re scared that a bunch of children could do a more dashing gingerbread man than you.”

Emma was never one to back down from a challenge, so she rose to the occasion and grabbed her gingerbread man off the tray, “it’s on Jones!”

It was not on. Emma’s attempt at making a gingerbread version of Killian was not flattering, to say the least, and she was fairly sure that the two young children sitting at a nearby table were laughing at her.

When Emma glanced over at Killian’s, she threw her tube of icing down in defeat, he was just adding the finishing touches to his perfectly iced cookie, carefully placing gumdrops down to look like neatly lined buttons. 

“Look!” He said with infectious laughter, “I made a gingerbread Emma!”

How he had managed to capture her in cookie form was actually quite impressive, and Emma decided to take a bite out of hers rather than show it to Killian. 

“Showing off there, artist!” She teased back.

Killian was interrupted before he could gloat by Granny placing their food in front of them. After thanking her they left their cookies abandoned and dug in.

“So, you’re still coming tonight for the ugly Christmas jumper evening, right Swan?”

The ugly Christmas jumper evening had been planned for a while now and it seemed as much a staple of a Storybrooke Christmas as Mary Margaret’s famous Christmas extravaganza party. The whole gang was going over to The Jolly Roger in the evening, with their Christmas jumpers already prepared. Emma was borrowing one from Mary Margaret, as she didn’t have any herself, it wasn’t the most flattering jumper, with large pompoms sticking out all over it, but Killian had assured her, the uglier, the better.

“We’ll be there. David and Mary Margaret are already wearing their jumpers. David was adamant he’s not taking it off once during his whole shift. Thankfully he’s only doing half a day today otherwise he’d be melting sitting around in all day in that thing, he’s probably already home now.”

David’s Christmas jumper was one of the most unnecessarily stupid ones that Emma had ever seen, with five or six wool layers added to make it puff out to like a very round snowman. The absurdity of it was part of its charm, according to David that is.

“Dave sent me a photo of it,” Killian laughed, opening up his messages on his phone to show her. Apparently, David, Killian, and Robin had a group chat that was labelled 'The Three Musketeers', and the latest post in it was a photo of David in his bizarre snowman jumper with the captain:  _ I’m David Snowlan. _

Emma couldn’t do anything but roll her eyes and sigh exasperatedly at her brother.

Once they had finished their meal they paid and made their way outside, the rest of Emma’s gingerbread man grasped in her hands to take back home with her.

Killian pulled her into a hug and after a moment of hesitation gave her a kiss on the cheek. "See you later, Swan."

“See you,” she stuttered in reply and began her walk back home with her fingers reaching up to touch the spot on her cheek where he had kissed her. Then she realised she still had Killian’s Santa hat on her head and couldn’t help but smile in fondness and if she didn’t take it off for the rest of the afternoon, Killian didn’t need to know.

When Emma walked into the flat, David and Mary Margaret were both sitting rigidly on the couch and they were both beaming smiles of fake innocence, looking incredibly suspicious to Emma, as though they were waiting for her to get home. 

“…Hello,” Emma said dubiously, slowly shutting the door behind her but wishing she had taken this moment to run back to the diner.

“Hello, Emma,” David said raising his eyebrow at her.

It was as though Mary Margaret couldn’t take all the subtlety anymore and babbled out “how was your date? I’m so happy for you two!” 

Emma had to give it to her, she did manage to last a whole twenty seconds before trying to fish all the information out of Emma that she could, and Emma almost felt bad for disappointing her. 

“It wasn’t a date,” she told them. “He just invited me to go to lunch at Granny’s.”

“You don’t normally get all dressed up just for lunch,” David pressed her teasingly.

“It’s Christmas eve.” How many times today did Emma have to justify her outfit? Her excuse was starting to fall apart, even to her.

“Of course,” David said chuckling as though he didn’t believe her at all. “If it was a date though, you wouldn’t have to feel embarrassed or that you couldn’t talk to me about it. I’d be very happy that you’re happy.”

“It wasn’t a date though!” Emma cut in. “We’re just friends hanging out like we always do.”

“Okay, if you say so,” David smirked.

Emma spent the rest of the afternoon lounging on the couch with David and Mary Margaret watching old Christmas movies, and right up to the point that they left for the ugly Christmas jumper evening at The Jolly Roger, there was one lingering thought that could not escape her mind.  _ Was it a date? _

The ugly Christmas jumper evening was in full swing when Emma, David, and Mary Margaret arrived. The Jolly Roger was brimming with Christmas spirit, with people laughing merrily with their drinks in hand. The array of multicoloured jumpers pulled Emma’s eyes all across the room like disorienting flashing lights.

The Jolly Roger was decorated up proudly with tinsel, wreaths, and garlands galore. The Christmas lights were strung across the bar brightly giving off a warm, welcoming glow, and candles were lit sitting enchantingly in the centre of all the tables. Emma was fairly sure that was a bit of a fire hazard around all the alcohol, but it did look captivating, lighting up all the artwork on the walls with a golden spotlight.

“Charmings!” A shout called them over.

“Regina!” Mary Margaret called back, running over to hug her friend.

Regina was sitting on her usual barstool with a glass of wine resting elegantly in her grasp, and a plastic crown sitting on her head. The only thing that ruined the sophisticated look of royalty was the neon green grinch jumper that she was wearing; however, it was covered with a sash that read 'queen' is sparkling letters. 

Robin was leaning his elbow on Regina’s shoulder over the bar counter and waved them over, wearing his Santa hat which, like Killian's, had been the subject of many of the selfies that Emma had received.

“Hey guys,” David said grabbing a pint of beer that Robin handed over to him.

“I like the jumpers,” Robin replied with a laugh, poking the many layers of David’s snowman.

“Thanks,” David sassed, playfully knocking Robin’s hand away.

“Where’s Killian gone off to?” Mary Margaret asked looking around until the man in question caught her eye.

He was walking over to them with a smile on his face, and hands overloaded with empty glasses and he sped up his walk as they were beginning to slip before he placed them all down onto the bar counter. 

“Hey, Swan!” He greeted her eagerly, then after he realised he was ignoring everyone else he embarrassingly added “…Hi, everyone else.”

“Hi Killian,” Mary Margaret light-heartedly ribbed, sharing a look with David.

"You wore your demon Santa jumper," David chuckled. "I thought for sure it wouldn't last another year with Hook."

“It may well be the last year,” Killian laughed, indicating to the fresh loose fraying of the fabric which had been at the mercy of Hook the cat. “Though I’m missing my hat, Swan. I need it to complete the look.”

"You're in luck," Emma replied, grabbing the Santa hat out of her back pocket and pulling it down hard over his head covering his eyes. Killian laughed in response and repositioned it on his head with a smirk.

“Did you hear,” Robin gossiped, catching all their attention. “Gold’s buggered off somewhere. I don’t know what’s going on, but he didn’t collect the rent, not just from the ‘Jolly’ but pretty much all of Storybrooke. He just dropped everything and left like he was in a hurry. Granny said she heard that he’s not coming back for quite a while, and that woman knows all the gossip in this town. It’s a bloody Christmas miracle!”

“I heard,” Killian nodded. “We can actually start to save up a bit before the next rent collections due. It’s definitely a weight lifted from my shoulders for now.”

Emma could see the relief on Killian’s face, he seemed more at ease and the lack of rent worries was allowing him to actually relax and enjoy the evening with his friends. To celebrate this Robin pulled up another round of drinks, adding two cokes for Killian and himself who were working.

“I wasn’t going to ask,” Emma said after her second glass of wine, “but what’s with the crown Regina?”

Killian barked out a laugh, attempting to hide it by covering his mouth with his hand. “I gave Regina an early Christmas present for her coronation. I would have gotten her a nice bottle of wine to go with it, but why buy her what she always takes for free anyway!” He giggled, rolling his eyes in a ‘what can you do’ fashion.

“I’m the queen of annoyance!” Regina shouted proudly, attracting the attention of many of the nearby customers, who Robin then jumped up to serve.

After another round of drinks, Robin, Regina, and the Charmings were chatting so Emma approached Killian who had gone to wipe down some of the tables after some customers left. 

“The snows really starting to come down now,” Killian said looking out of the window. “I’m going to let Robin head home early, he’s driving back home and if it gets much worse it’ll be a nightmare for the car.”

The night was beginning to wind down now, with the majority of the customers leaving ready for Christmas, which Emma realised as she checked the time on her phone, was only a couple of hours away now.

“Speaking of Robin,” she couldn’t help but say, as the alcohol was slightly affecting her filter. "That Christmas jumper looks quite nice, I thought it was an ugly Christmas jumper evening?" Robin’s jumper was a simple blue one with a small, refined reindeer pattern on it, and made Emma feel slightly self-conscious of the gigantic pompoms that surrounded her own.

"Hey, Robin!" Killian called over the patrons of the bar catching his attention and embarrassing Emma, causing her to bury her face in her hands. “Emma thinks your jumpers not ugly enough!”

Robin, despite Emma’s comment, flashed a cheeky smile and pressed a button on the arm of his jumper. 

“Wait for it,” Killian sniggered.

The jumper lit up and every inch of it began flashing chaotically.

“He just likes the drama,” Killian whispered to her teasingly as the pair walked back over to their friends who were finishing off their final round of drinks. 

“You can head off when you want mate,” Killian said patting Robin’s shoulder. “It’s snowing pretty hard now. I’ll clear up the bar tonight, it’s not as messy as I was expecting anyway.”

“Are you sure, mate?”

“Yes, it’s fine, don’t worry,” Killian answered with a smile.

“We’ll head home then,” Robin said grabbing Regina’s hand. “Have a good Christmas everyone!”

He was met back by a chorus of 'Merry Christmas' and the couple was pulled into a group hug before they began to leave.

“Wait a minute,” Regina said impishly and began to rummage through her bag and then pulled out a small wrapped parcel. “This is for you Emma. Don’t worry Jones you’ll get your present on boxing day.”

Emma was actually a bit overwhelmed that Regina had thought to get her a gift and felt quite bad that she didn’t get her one in return. Emma had never had a group of friends that made her feel as welcome and loved as she felt right now on this Christmas eve night. 

Emma carried on enjoying her evening and the candles on the tables were beginning to burn low as time went on, flickering before extinguishing themselves leaving a small trail of smoke floating towards the ceiling before it vanished into the air.

As the last of the customers began to leave, Killian made quick work of cleaning down the bar for the evening, also whilst taking the time to wish all the customers a Merry Christmas as they walked out into the dark cobblestone street. The evening was coming to a close when Emma, David, and Mary Margaret decided to make their way home, wrapping themselves up in their hats and scarves, and bidding a good night and Merry Christmas to Killian.

Emma held her coat tighter around herself and shivered as she stepped out through the doorway into the rapidly settling snow. The snow was coming down so hard in the dark night sky that it was blurring the street in front of her eyes like a shimmering mist. 

“I can barely see anything,” David said as he stepped out behind Emma, almost tripping on a concealed cobblestone hidden under a particularly hazardous patch of snow.

"You can stay here if you want to," Killian offered from the doorway as he stood watching them with his keys in hand ready to lock up The Jolly Roger for the night. "The snows really picked up you wouldn't even be able to see your hand in front of your face, you can't walk home in that."

“Thanks, Killian,” David responded with his teeth chattering, “but we can’t impose on Christmas eve. Don’t worry we’ll manage.”

Mary Margaret grabs David’s arm tightly preventing him from leaving, and then shoots Emma a meddlesome look whilst smiling audaciously. “It’s snowing really hard now. Maybe we should stay? We can head home in the morning.”

“It might be a tight squeeze in my apartment but you’re all like family, you will always be welcome here.” 

At Killian’s mention of family, David’s eyes softened. “Are you sure we wouldn’t be imposing Killian?”

“I’m certain,” Killian answered sincerely.

After they all re-entered The Jolly Roger, Killian locked the door behind them and led them up into his apartment, and kicked off his shoes in the hallway.

“I’ll grab some blankets,” Killian said as he made his way into his bedroom and returned with his arms heaving a large pile of blankets and pillows, throwing them onto the living room floor.

Meanwhile, Mary Margaret was cooing at Hook as she tried to engage him into playing with a loose thread she had gathered from her jumper, but the cat was just looking at her with his head tilted as if to say,  _ ‘what is this crazy lady doing?’. _

“I know it’s an hour early,” Killian said shyly to Emma lowering his tone so only she could hear, “but I’ve got your present in my room and I was kind of hoping that you could open it early when it was just us, rather than in front of everyone. It’s kind of personal.”

“Sure,” Emma replied, blushing lightly, “but you didn’t have to get me anything.”

Killian smiled and rolled his eyes as though she was being ridiculous. 

“Just give me a minute to get changed out of my work clothes,” he said, then went into his bedroom and shut the door behind him.

Emma turned to face David and Mary Margaret and was met with twin looks of smugness complete with raised eyebrows.

“What?” Emma brazenly asked. “No shovel talk? No, don’t go in boy’s bedrooms, Emma?”

David rocked on his heels and his upper lip was twitching as he attempted to hide his amusement. “Do you want me to give him a shovel talk? I can tell him to stay away from my sister if you want me too.” 

“Well, no,” Emma stated.

“Well, there you go then, I know you can look after yourself, Emma. Anyway, I thought you were just friends?" he teased back.

Emma walked into Killian’s room as he opened the door again, wrapped up warm in snug pyjamas, and glanced at her nervously as he held out a neatly wrapped large rectangular gift towards her.

She unwrapped it carefully and marvelled at the sight of the beautiful canvas within it, covered in bright colourful swirls like water rippling when it’s touched. It was the same painting of Killian’s that she had noticed before, and it was as wonderful as she remembered. She could see some changes to it though, the rough strokes depicting crashing ocean waves, had been softened transforming it to show a gentle calming flow of water, not that different from the water at the docks by The Jolly Roger. In the centre was the addition of a magnificent proud Swan, floating like it had belonged in the painting all along.

Emma was speechless.

“I finished it… and you said you liked it before… so I thought maybe… maybe you’d like it,” he stumbled over his words in nervousness and his doubts and disappointment only increased as Emma was stunned silent. “You liked it better before, didn’t you?”

“I love it.”

“Really?” he said unsure, “I changed it a bit, I hadn’t planned to, but I was inspired, and I just couldn’t put the brush down.”

“I thought it was great before, but this is incredible, Killian! Thank you, really! I love it!”

“Even with the swan in it?” he asked anxiously.

This seemed like a deeper question than simply the subject of his painting and Emma could only respond honestly. “It looks at home there.”

Killian's relieved smile was blinding, and he could barely conceal his delight that Emma liked the painting, he had spent many hours painstakingly working on it trying his best to make it perfect for her.

The emotions were rising high within the room, bordering on uncomfortable for Emma, who was not usually one who showed her true feelings easily. She broke their eye contact by digging in her pocket for the gift that Regina had given her.

“I know it’s not Christmas yet, but Regina doesn’t have to know I opened it a bit earl-” her bellowing laugh cut off her own speech. Between giggles, she managed to continue, "is this real!"

“Is what real?” Killian asked confused, and then his smile dropped abruptly as he looked over her shoulder at Regina’s gift.

In her hands was an ornate frame covered with a pretty Christmas pattern, complete with holly leaves printed on the side. It wasn’t the frame though that was stealing Emma’s attention, but the photo within it. A young Killian stared back at her, with a happy smile on his face, and his crystal blue eyes glistened in the sun. He was standing at the helm of a boat with the wind blowing through his hair… his hair. Emma couldn’t take her eyes off of it. Loose strands were moving freely in the breeze but the majority of his dark unruly hair was pulled back into a low ponytail.

“You should burn that,” he joked, with an edge of seriousness in his tone.

“Never,” she grinned back. “I may just quickly need to show David.”

"You don't need to do that Swan; he's already seen it," Killian rolled his eyes at her, and despite his protesting words he didn’t attempt to stop her as she walked out of his room with a swagger in her step.

She abruptly stopped as she spotted them, going quiet so as to not disturb them. David and Mary Margaret were cuddled up together on the lumpy, torn couch, wrapped up cosily under some of the blankets Killian had brought into the room earlier. Both were fast asleep and didn’t seem to mind the cramped, uncomfortable couch as they snuggled into each other happily.

“They stole our spot,” Killian whispered with a snigger.

“I’ll bunk down on the floor, I don’t want to wake them,” Emma said softly, making her way to grab the remaining blanket off the floor.

“You could always stay with me,” Killian timidly suggested. “I know if I offer to sleep on the floor you still won't take my bed, but we could always just share, we've done it before."

“If you don’t mind,” Emma bashfully replied.

Killian smiled and pulled her back towards his room, “you can borrow some clothes again if you want. Though if it’s anything like my black hoodie, I’ll use the word ‘borrow’ loosely.”

She huffed at him, but still took the pyjamas he offered her.

“I’ll just leave the room for a minute and let you change.”

“It’s alright, just turn around,” she said and quickly changed while Killian kept his back to her.

Emma then crawled into the bed and got herself comfy under the covers as Killian followed her over, settling himself down on the other side of the bed. All the previous awkwardness when they had shared Emma’s bed didn’t seem to exist anymore, it mysteriously felt much more natural for her now and she felt herself quickly relaxing in his presence.

“Look at that Swan,” Killian said putting his phone on his bedside table, “it’s midnight. Merry Christmas, love.”

“Merry Christmas, Killian.”

“Thanks for being here Swan,” he said turning onto his side to face her. “If I’m being honest, I wasn’t looking forward to Christmas. I mean I loved seeing everyone at the ‘Jolly’ earlier, but I didn’t want to have to wake up alone on Christmas day. It’s my first Christmas since Liam died, and we always spent Christmas together and celebrated it as a family. So, it really means a lot to me that you’re here, love.”

In a moment of bravery, she took his hand that was resting between them over the blanket. “Can I ask you a question? Earlier at Granny’s was it… was it a date?”

He squeezed her hand back and she could feel him shaking in her grasp as he began to ramble. “I had hoped it was, but then you didn’t mention it, and so I wasn’t sure. You looked so beautiful, and I wanted to ask you whether you thought it was a date, but then it sounded too forward in my head and I wasn’t sure-”

“Killian, calm down,” Emma placated.

“Did you want it to be a date?” Killian tensely asked.

Emma was always overthinking things but just this once she listened to her gut which was screaming at her. “Yes.”

“Yes?”

“Yes.”

The glee in his tone was unlike anything Emma had ever heard from him before, and he leaned across the bed to kiss her delicately on the forehead, “Merry Christmas, love.”

They both fell asleep in the early hours of Christmas morning with smiles on their faces.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading! I hope you liked this chapter :)  
> Thank you to everyone who has left kudos, comments, and subscribed, it makes me so happy that people are enjoying this story.  
> Sorry that this took a bit longer than expected to put up, but I hope it was worth the wait. I'd love to hear what you all think of it!
> 
> The next chapter is the final one and I'm so excited to put it up and delve well and truly into some Captain Swan relationship fluff. I was hoping when I started writing this story to have the final chapter up on Christmas day but real life things have delayed it, but who doesn't love a good January Christmas story XD


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